


Serenata Pasticcio

by daphnerunning, Galiko



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-08-17 03:33:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 32,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8128873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daphnerunning/pseuds/daphnerunning, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galiko/pseuds/Galiko
Summary: Before anyone else has a chance, Sakuma Rei approaches the fancy little first-year with a homemade sign at the yearly unit fair, not expecting much from "Valkyrie," but intrigued nonetheless.An AU where Rei joins Valkyrie in his second year.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Serenata Pasticcio - A musical greeting performed for a lover, with multiple authors.
> 
>  
> 
> A couple of notes:
> 
> 1\. It's mentioned in canon that Ritsu was much sweeter before Rei went to England. Since this is set prior to that, he is much friendlier with his brother, still calling him "Onii-chan" rather than "gross bug."  
> 2\. This was, ah, written before Magicians Assemble, so please forgive things now made non-canon, such as Eichi being student council president in his first year. It's an AU, it's fine!!  
> 3\. This was written because aesthetic tbh

Itsuki Shu has been informed about the beginning-of-year Unit Faire. Each idol unit at Yumenosaki sets up stands on the first day of school, and students mill about, looking at the outfits, watching videos of performances, talking to the current members and looking for a place to belong for the next three years. Shu has done his research, because he isn’t a fool, and knows exactly what groups are legendary at Yumenosaki, and which ones are merely a flash in the pan. Knights has a line in front of it, holding impromptu auditions with the leader watching and judging. A few others have clusters, and a couple of others--AMPHI, _base_ , 白蛇, and Nativity--have one person each looking nervous behind the little white school-issued tables, some doodling, some looking around anxiously and calling out to every passerby. 

Shu looks around, nods to himself, and unfolds a little white table he’d purchased from a craft store, setting up to the side of some odd tapdance-themed group (Shirohebi), draping a black-red-gold cloth over it, and sets out a sign of his own.

**VALKYRIE**

Then he stands behind it, folds his hands, and waits, the lone first year not milling around someone else’s table.

Yumenosaki has options, and Sakuma Rei’s gentle attempts to steer his little brother _away_  from the groups that advertise exactly how easy it is to be a member is pretty difficult. 

Knights is one of them. Sure, they’re popular, they stand out as a unit for working models, _and_  they cheerfully claim to be very easy to schedule around, but all of those things sound bad to Rei, and that’s not even going into how bad the actual _unit_  sounds. Ritsu digging his heels in there just frustrates him, and Rei grumpily leaves him be, ignoring the calls of _“Sakuma-saaan! Sakuma-san, please, this year, it’ll be different!”_ , because like hell he’s going to end up joining a unit at this waste-of-time school. 

More entertaining than listening to Ritsu enthusiastically be on board with _doing next to nothing because I’m good-looking_  is standing to the side and watching, unfolding his parasol to hide underneath it. _Literally one real musician at this school would be nice_  his mind sadly reminds him, and when that doesn’t seem to supply results, watching some weird little first year start to set up a table is…huh.

Mystifying. 

Well. That’s gotta be a first. He’s never seen a first year try to start their own unit like this, though he’s heard warnings from a friend of his that _someone_  might be trying to do as much later. He’s pretty sure this is against the rules, actually—not that he cares, but… _someone’s got to tell him before he gets snapped at._

Heaving a sigh, Rei strides his way over. “If no one’s yelled at you yet, they’re gonna,” he simply says, drumming painted nails against the handle of his parasol. “First years can’t start units without prior student council approval.”

 

“...You must be Tenshouin Eichi.” Shu adjusts his jabot, a self-satisfied little smile on his face. He leans down, pulling a few crisp papers out of his messenger bag and handing them over. “Copies of the papers I submitted for your approval, printed, with the date of their submission, just in case the ones I sent off got lost.”

The face Rei makes is nothing shy of _entirely_  grossed out. “Ugh, no, I’m _not_  that little creep,” he mutters, pushing the papers back. “I’m trying to keep your scrawny first year ass from getting kicked by him, actually. If he hasn’t approved your stuff, he’s _going_  to come and eat you alive.” 

Shu’s eyes narrow, and he tucks the papers back into his messenger bag. “Thank you for your concern, but I’ve submitted all necessary paperwork. As long as I can recruit a member or two, everything will be in order. I just need to find one or two talented individuals that aren’t satisfied with the paltry offerings of the pathetic masses here.”

“Big talk for a shitty first year.” Rei’s gaze flickers away, checking to make sure that Ritsu is still…well. Preoccupied. He is, unfortunately, and he sighs, spinning his parasol slowly. At least Ritsu hasn’t passed out on the ground. “You’re wasting your time at this school, but go ahead. You’ve got a spiel ready, I can just _feel_  it—“ He pauses, glancing down at the sign on the table, and adds in virtually unaccented English, “ _Valkyrie_.”

Shu’s ears perk up at the flawless pronunciation, but he struggles to push down the excitement, the idea that he’s finally met someone _cultured_ at this hellish place. “You sound like someone who’s let himself be defeated before he begins. Not everyone is willing to give up on their...” He looks the man up and down critically, taking in the callouses, the high cheekbones, the rather elegant way he stands, drastically at odds with his rough speech. “...violin composition.”

“Accusing someone of being defeated isn’t a great way to recruit unit members,” Rei deadpans, not giving Shu an inch of clarification as to whether or not he’s right. “Especially if you’re a first year no one’s heard of.” There are first years that everyone has heard of, and dreads. This kid isn’t one of them. “How long have you been planning this, huh?” 

“Eight months.” Shu straightens the sign on his table, then pulls a sheaf of papers out of his bag, smoothing and protecting them against any stray breeze. “Original compositions, stage blueprints, costume designs...more costume designs...orchestrations, choreography, a--no, that’s in the wrong place, that’s a costuming sketch--”

“…Are you sure you came to the right school?” This is the kind of kid he’d expect to see at the fancy, frumpy music schools his parents keep _begging_  him to go to instead, not at Yumenosaki. Another breeze swoops by, trying to pick up half a dozen papers and send them scattering, and Rei steps forward, closing his parasol and smacking it down across them before they can all go flying off. “You’re gonna get eaten here. The student council’s cracking down on people that give a shit.”

Shu breathes a sigh of relief at the quick save, and carefully gathers his papers, tucking them securely into a clear file and then back into his messenger bag. “None of the other schools that interviewed me were willing to agree to give me the creative freedom I require. It....it means nothing, if it’s someone else’s idea. I don’t care if it’s difficult to make my own way, it’s my only option.”

The sun is far too bright for him to exist, and Rei hastens to huddle back underneath his parasol, his expression proving exactly how displeased and gloomy he is about being out in the daylight. “Ahhh, so the truth comes out. You’re looking to drag a couple of unsuspecting idiots into your unit so they can do nothing but your bidding.”

“Hmm? Oh, yes.” Shu turns to the side, watching a particularly lovely little first-year walk by, shoulders tensing when he walks over to _base_ instead. “If they aren’t doing as I say, they’ll be in the way. Underlings should move like puppets on strings.”

Ah. Gross. Rei rolls his eyes and takes a step back. “Yeah, good luck with that. Reconsider joining the new student council president’s unit, sounds like you two might jive real well.” 

“I don’t join things.” Shu’s jaw tenses, the skin around his eyes tightening, hands clenched on the edge of his little white table. “I don’t expect people to understand me, and I couldn’t care less what you think. If you’re only here to try and push me around, it won’t work. If you’re here to warn me, I don’t need your help.” He leans down, pulling a small doll out of his bag, just the size of his hand, wearing a Valkyrie outfit prototype, and sets her carefully on the table. 

_You’re wasting your time here~_  a voice in his head sing-songs, and Rei begrudgingly agrees. The problem, of course, is that there aren’t a lot of people at this stupid school that have a brain, have a vision, have any idea what they want to do except be part of a pop group and get a modeling contract because being pretty is _easy_  at the end of the day… 

“Calm down, I’m not trying to fuck with you.” Rei heaves a sigh, briefly shutting his eyes. “I _am_  here to warn you, and that’s because you actually seem like you’ve got a few good ideas. Don’t fuck yourself by going head to head with the student council right off the bat, you’re gonna regret it.” He reaches across the table, mussing Shu’s hair. “You’ve got a good design thing going on,” he adds. “But no one’s gonna join you just for that.”

Shu flinches from the touch before he can stop himself, certain that the other boy is going to hit him. When all that happens is an oddly intimate touch to his hair, he draws back, patting it firmly into place, huffing a little. “Once they see what I can do, they’ll be begging to join me. I only...” He grimaces. “I only need one or two people to join at first, even as a temporary unit. Then I’ll be able to show off my skills. There’s one person who would join if I asked him, but...aesthetically, he’s not quite...” 

“Beggers can’t be choosers,” Rei hums as he withdraws his hand. _Good god, what a priss._  “You’re gonna need to rethink some things.” 

“Ehhh, _this_  is the unit I was supposed to approve?”

Rei always expects Tenshouin Eichi’s voice to be more… _grating._  He’s only heard it a handful of times in his lifetime, and only over the phone, when Hasumi Keito called him up in the hallway between classes at middle school. Seeing the demon in person matches up with all the lore, down to the perfectly bleached and primed blonde hair, the glittering contacts, the brilliant smile, and that obnoxiously low, smooth voice. “Hmm. I’m not sure if I can really call it a ‘unit’ if it’s just one person—ah, Sakuma Rei, don’t tell me, this is _your_  joint venture?”

“What great timing, you get to meet our new president,” Rei flatly says to Shu instead of answering. “It’s a mystery how he got elected as a first year, but here we are.”

Shu straightens his back and neck into a stiff, shallow bow, head barely tilted. “President. I assume you received my paperwork, and obviously everything is in order. I wouldn’t have it otherwise.”

“ _Technically_ everything is in order,” Eichi hedges, stepping closer to reach out and bemusedly touch the doll on the table, plucking at a bit of the velvet there. “But a ‘unit’ means that there’s more than one of you. In light of that, it’s unfortunate, but I don’t think I can approve your propos--”

“It’s not just him,” Rei interrupts, his parasol slowly spinning in irritation. Well, this is a choice he’s making, but it’s the _principle_ of the thing, and god, Tenshouin Eichi rubs him the wrong way. “I’m joining.”

Eichi’s eyebrows immediately shoot up. “ _Really._ You-- _Sakuma Rei_ \--”

Oooh, boy, he’s gonna regret this, he can already _tell_. “So you can stop harassing him, _President_. He’s got his paperwork in order.” 

Shu’s heart thuds in his chest, a prickling anticipation that he tries to fight down. This is so much so fast--this man, this _Sakuma Rei_ , is clearly saying this to piss off the student council president, and there’s definitely something about him that rubs Shu the wrong way...

But he wants to join Valkyrie. And just from the way he speaks, he’s obviously a musician at least, and not afraid of the student council president...

“You’re too tall,” he says finally, in disapproval before his tone turns to grudging acceptance. “But...I suppose you have an extremely beautiful face. Very well, I approve your membership on the strength of your beauty alone.”

Eichi, at that, is obnoxious enough to start giggling. “Your unit sure is going to be interesting, huh?” he laughs, folding his arms across his chest. “Keito has told me a _lot_ about you, _Sakuma-san._ ”

Delightful. Rei nearly whirls on Shu to remind him that he’s helping his stupid little group not get crushed before it even gets out the door so he better be _nice_ , but that wouldn’t be cute in front of Tenshouin Eichi, who desperately wants to watch everyone around him fail. That’s what Keito has inferred to _him_ , several times over in the past. “I’m sure it’s only been great things, like how I can play _every instrument_ and am the _best composer_ you’ll find in this fucking school,” he grinds out with a sideways scowl to Shu. ‘Approve your membership on beauty alone’, fuck _off_. “So, y’know. I’ve got all that going for me, thanks.”

“Itsuki-kun, was it?” Eichi cheerfully interjects, giving Shu another brilliant smile. “I hope you have a _great_ time here at Yumenosaki. I can’t wait to see you on stage.” 

“Then book us for the first S1 of the year,” Shu says, hearing his own mouth running away with him and not stopping it. “I’ll craft for you a performance of such magnificence you’ll never recover.” He hesitates, then adds, “Along with Sakuma Rei. As a unit, the likes of which will strike fear into the hearts of the unworthy. Come, stand on this side of the table with me.” He can find some lifts to wear in his shoes for when they’re standing next to each other.

“You can pick up the appropriate paperwork at the student council room--talk to Keito, he knows how that works,” Eichi says breezily, fluttering a hand as he turns away. “Good luck with your new, uh, ‘unit’, ahaha!”

“Die,” Rei sourly mutters at his back, slinking down further underneath his parasol with an unhappy huff. He makes sure Eichi is completely _gone_ before turning back to Shu with a scowl. “We’re gonna have an extensive conversation, and it’s not gonna be in the sunlight when I’m already exhausted enough to agree to do something this stupid just to _spite_ someone.”

Shu stares at Rei, trying to reconcile his elation with having his unit accepted with his dismay at it being accepted because of this tall, handsome, dark, _cool_ person. There’s an impulse even now to look around for Kiryuu, certain that at any second Rei will start bossing him around and trying to hit him. But no, he’s bigger than that now, doesn’t need to be afraid, and he’s at idol school besides. How terrifying can these people be?

He clears his throat, drawing himself up to his full (new) height, feeling the growing pains creak in his joints even now. “Very well,” he manages. “I’ll...I need to remake all of our sketches, obviously the costumes won’t work in this theme if it’s going to be for you. And I’ll need to rework the orchestrations--I assume you’ll complain and suffer if you aren’t playing the violin, which requires some planning on my part.” 

Shu pulls out a business card, and hands it stiffly over. “My address is on here. If you must come in darkness, come in the morning. I’m always awake by four.”

“You have _business cards_ ,” Rei mutters to himself, sort of amazed that there’s actually another person trying this hard at this damned school that isn’t just throwing money around like a lunatic. He flips the card over before stuffing it into his sweater pocket with a sigh. “I’m not coming at four in the morning, that’s when I like to go to _sleep_. I’ll swing by tonight. Also,” he moodily adds, “I don’t _just_ play violin, give me a little bit of credit. And you’re not reworking anything until I get to sit down with it. You might have a good design concept, but I’m not ready to trust you with a score yet.” 

Shu nods, softened a tiny bit by the praise to his most important achievement. “I’ll have the base for the costumes ready. Also, there’s a piano at my house, so feel free to use that for whatever you like. I’ll take your measurements at that time...what are you, a hundred seventy-nine centimeters? Size twenty-six shoe? Head circumference...about forty-six?” The man is _gorgeous_ , if nothing else, and Shu taps his chin, walking slowly around, looking him up and down from every angle. 

“That’s kinda creepy that you can do that,” Rei cheerfully informs him. “But kinda cool, too, I guess.” If he has a piano, he can’t be _too_ terrible, but he’ll make that judgement once he sees how it has been maintained. “Anyway, if you’re gonna stick around out here and try to recruit more people, you’re running it by me first. I’m not working with idiots.” 

“Don’t be absurd. Idiots are the easiest to work with, as long as they’re lovely.” Shu brushes his hair back from his face, scanning over the crowd. “No more eccentric geniuses, we have far too many between the two of us.”

“If you let someone join just because they’re pretty, I’m quitting on the spot.” 

“But I let you join.”

“See, but I’m ignoring that, and assuming you could sense my immense talent.” 

“I--well, yes,” Shu admits. “And I like that you’re willing to fight the student council president. And you move well.” He tilts his head a little, making little tutting noises under his breath. “And I can tell from your speaking voice that you’re at least a decent singer, certainly with perfect pitch, which is going to make my life much easier. There, enjoy your praise, but don’t expect more if you don’t continue to be excellent.”

Rei shuts his parasol and lightly bonks Shu over the head with it. “I’m always excellent.” He leans down, holding Shu’s stare with his swirling red gaze. “And I don’t need your praise. Don’t order me around, ask _nicely_ , and maybe we’ll get somewhere as Valkyrie, yeah?” 

“We’ll get a lot farther if you aren’t trying to throw your weight around,” Shu says irritably. “I have a _plan_ for this unit--which you only joined at the last minute because you dislike the student council president.” He takes a deep breath, feeling the weight of every gaze in the courtyard on him, feeling the weight of Rei’s stare, and has to steady himself on the table, fingers white-knuckled. No, no, this is a bad time to faint--had he eaten in the morning? Mornings are so hard to keep track of...

“How about _you_ don’t throw your weight around?” Rei grouses. “I joined because he was going to fuck up your unit before it even began, and you’ve clearly got some talent. I can’t stand guys like him, I--” He pauses as he takes a breath, and frowns, reaching out to steady Shu with a hand on his shoulder. “Oi. You’re as white as a sheet.” He knows that look well, and it makes him abruptly haul Shu around back to his chair. The way Shu’s blood thumps in his veins is strange, irregular, and distracting. “Did you eat breakfast? If you can’t even take care of yourself, how are you gonna run a unit at a place like this?” 

Shu’s blood pounds in his veins. He blinks, and suddenly opens his eyes again to find that he’s sitting down, the sick throbbing in his chest telling him he’d blacked out, hopefully not for too long. He stares up, a little foggy as he waves a hand weakly. “It’s fine. I just forgot. I--food doesn’t sit right with me, and when so many people are staring, I...I’m fine.”

_No one’s staring, calm down_ is on the tip of Rei’s tongue, but okay, sure, he’s totally signed up to be in a unit with an agoraphobe, that’s gonna work out _so well._ He bites his tongue, and flips open his own bag, shoving a rice cake into Shu’s hands. “Eat it. And once you eat it, I’m going to walk you to the infirmary so you can lie down. Better for you to be there than sitting out here and seeing who else you can rope in, anyway.” 

Shu shakes his head, but takes the rice cake, obediently nibbling on a corner. The sickly fuzzy feeling still throbs in his head, but his stomach churns at the thought of food. “I’ll get some cold water,” he promises. “You can go, I already know where the infirmary is. Aren’t you...affected, by the sunlight?”

If Shu already knows where the infirmary is, that’s _probably_ a questionable sign about his ability to exist in this world, let alone run a unit. But...hmm. At least he’s not an idiot, because he’s caught onto something that usually people never do. “I want to die every day,” Rei bluntly says, opening his parasol again for the meager amount of shade it provides. “Tenshouin’s going to be in the infirmary all the time, too, so if you can’t stand that, find the Light Music Club room. I’m the president, and there are _blackout curtains._ ” 

Shakily, Shu nods, then hauls himself up to standing, grabbing his bag, folding his table. “I appreciate it. Don’t worry about me, it was just a spell. It won’t happen again. I’ve had enough of that. Ah, shit--stand in front of me, would you? There’s someone here I don’t want to see me looking pale, he’ll try to carry me home.”

_What have I signed up for?_ Rei wearily asks himself, even though he does as he’s asked, deliberately tilting his parasol to make sure Shu is completely shielded. “So you don’t like crowds, huh.” 

“Does anyone?” Shu peeks out, then ducks behind the parasol again at the sight of Kiryuu’s trademark red hair. “Childhood friends are such a bother. He--ooh, what do you think of that boy, with the black hair, standing by that Knights booth? He’s got an incredibly lovely face, doesn’t he? And nice legs...”

Rei’s smile twitches. “Uh huh. That’s my little brother.” 

“Oh.” Shu purses his lips. “That’s a no, then. Keep your family bickering away from Valkyrie.”

“How dare you assume we bicker. Ritsu is everything lovely and perfect and good in this world--watch. Ritsu!” Rei calls, waving eagerly. “Ritsu, you’re being adorable!” 

“Oh, you know Sakuma-san?”

Ritsu flicks a gaze towards Rei, sighing. “Never met him before in my life.”

“Ehh? Isn’t your last name Sakuma?”

Ritsu laughs, then waves at his brother, sparkling a little even as he hides in the shade. “Onii-chan, give me your parasol, the sun hurts!”

_Too cute!_ “Why didn’t you bring the one I bought you?” Rei laments, even as he immediately darts over, holding the parasol over Ritsu in short order. Shu needs to stop trying to pass out when he’s trying to look at how cute his brother is. “It was such a cute pattern, too...” 

“It was there when I went to sleep,” Ritsu says with a sigh, drifting over towards where his brother is standing, butting his head against his chest. “Gone when I woke up. Maybe there’s a rogue parasol thief on the loose, waiting to use them in a violent crime.”

Shu, sick of avoiding Kiryuu, stuffs the rest of the rice cake in his mouth, forcing his stomach to calm the hell down and not reject the food. At least if anyone looks over, they’ll see him chewing, though the thought that everyone will watch him eat almost sends him to the ground again. Damn, he’d thought he’d left this behavior back in middle school, how foolish to forget breakfast today (and dinner last night, and lunch the day previous, his mind reminds him).

Cute, cute, cute. Rei immediately pets Ritsu’s hair, smoothing and tucking it around his face as he makes sure the parasol is 99.9% over Ritsu. “Ahh, that won’t do--I have a few spares in the music club room. You have to drop by, anyway.” He falls just short of _begging_ Ritsu to at least join his club, even if he won’t form a unit with him. “Please tell me you didn’t join Knights.” Shu’s blood keeps doing weird things, which is _so_ distracting, especially when now that he’s eating, he starts to smell less unstable, and far more _good_. Ugh.

“Oh, I totally did. They don’t care if you come to practice at _all_ ,” Ritsu says dreamily. Then his eyes snap into abrupt focus, and he scans the courtyard, looking around until he spots Shu. “Onii-chan,” he breathes, suddenly intent. “I’m...mmm, I need to eat something. But if you feed me a gross rice cake I’ll die.”

Shu heaves himself to his feet, then shoulders his bag and table, giving Rei a nod. “Come by any time. You have my address.”

“Yeah, I do.” Rei puts a gentle, restraining hand on Ritsu’s arm. “See you later.” 

Shu walking away is a relief, and Rei exhales a long, measured breath. “First things first,” he murmurs, giving Ritsu’s arm a squeeze. “Don’t touch that one, he’s already figured it out.” 

Ritsu makes a face, letting his hand curl around the wooden handle of the parasol. “Don’t drop so many hints, Onii-chan. Mm, he’s kinda cute, though. Also, you have kind of a reputation at this school already...I dunno if you know...” He yawns hugely, sagging a little where he stands.

“I barely said _anything_. I just complained about the sun, honestly,” Rei grouses, gently petting Ritsu’s hair. “I know I have a reputation, that’s good. But you’re going to ruin it, being in Knights--Ritsu, you’re so _talented_ , we should start a unit...” Maybe if Ritsu agrees, he can get out of this debatably terrible arrangement he’s made. 

“....Nah.”

Ritsu grabs the parasol, then yawns again, drifting back towards the Knights table. “You’d make me work too hard, Onii-chan. Hmm, where’s Maa~kun...”

“Ritsu...” It’s a lost cause, Rei knows, but, well...at least Knights is _incredibly_ popular, and Ritsu being accepted immediately out of the throngs of fools at this school _does_ make him proud...

Which is a delightful thing to keep on his mind rather than focus on how he’s apparently dropping by a weird little first year’s house after he pries himself away from practicing after school. 

 

 

Itsuki Shu’s house is...about what Rei expected: somewhat dilapidated, with white lace curtains visible from the outside, and a crumbling stone walkway up to the front door. Rei shrugs his violin case up onto his shoulder, closes his second parasol of the day, and cocks his head as he debates whether or not this is a good idea, or if he should just walk while he still can. 

_Whatever, if it pisses Tenshouin off..._

He sighs, and knocks, _really_ interested in ruining Tenshouin Eichi’s plans. 

About ten seconds later, the door opens, and Itsuki Shu stands to the side. He’s in after-school clothes, with soft loose pants and a short-sleeved cotton top, all handmade, all perfectly crafted for letting him kneel for hours at a time on the floor of his sewing room without restricting him. The smell of baking bread and meat wafts out from behind him, and he opens the door, a little smile on his face. “You came, and earlier than I thought. Good, good! I’ve had so many ideas--come in, shoes by the door, grab a sausage roll if you’re hungry, there are paper wrappers so it doesn’t get your hands greasy.”

_Domestic_ isn’t something that Rei pegged Shu for, but here he is, and it’s kind of weird. Rei’s eyebrows lift, and he doesn’t comment as he toes off his shoes. “Did you think I wasn’t going to show?” he wryly asks, glancing around as he steps inside at the decidedly antique furnishings. That’s as expected, definitely. “You have a cool house.” Above the smell of food cooking, the scent of Shu’s blood is distractingly strong, and ah, that’s going to make for a _fun_ evening.

“It’s full of my grandmother’s nonsense,” Shu calls over his shoulder, shutting the door behind Rei before heading through the kitchen and upstairs. “Grab what you need, we’ll be upstairs for a while. That’s where the sewing room and piano both are.”

To temper the fact that Shu smells like he’s a banquet-in-waiting, Rei does grab asausage roll, and takes a bite as he trails at Shu’s heels. “You don’t mess around, do you.” It’s a welcome change compared to all the slackers at Yumenosaki. “I’m kind of amazed we haven’t run into each other before, but I’m guessing you don’t play anything.” 

“Enough piano to know what I’m doing, also enough to know that music isn’t my true passion,” Shu clarifies, heading quickly up the stairs. The earlier weariness had faded completely with the consumption of a sausage roll, and had been banished forever by how excited he is to rework the costumes. “I believe we have a mutual friend, however--I write scripts for Hibiki Wataru in between his fits of Shakespeare.”

Rei nearly chokes. “ _You_ know Wataru? Never mind, of course you do,” he mutters, finishing off his sausage roll in another bite. “I can’t believe you didn’t snatch _him_ up for your unit, he’s sexy--or is that the problem?” 

“Too tall, too loud, and his voice is incredibly distinctive. But most importantly, I can’t work with that hair. It clashes horrifically with the color scheme I’ve planned for Valkyrie.” Shu sighs, fluttering a hand as he starts laying out cloth. “Also, every time we get together we just wind up crafting theater or visiting museums, I doubt we could ever do true idol activities.”

“Ahh, so I fit in the color scheme, even if I’m the tallest of the bunch.” Rei licks his fingers clean, peering around the sewing room with vague interest until his eyes land on the piano--the very, _very_ old piano that makes him whimper at how clearly neglected it has been. “Why have you done this to her.” He strides over, gingerly removing fabric that has been draped over the piano, and strokes the top of it as carefully as he would his little brother’s hair. “Poor thing, it’s all right...you’re a neglectful father,” he snaps at Shu as he sets his violin case onto the floor and dusts off the bench to take a seat. “How dare you.” 

Shu blinks, nonplussed. “It’s my grandmother’s, I only moved in here last month. I think she just had it to look cultured. She’s dead, if that helps you feel better. Stand up straight, I need your inseam, it’s clearly ridiculous.”

“You can wait five minutes.” Playing a quick, simple chord progression doesn’t make him want to die, fortunately, so that means it’s not as bad as he thought at first glance. That doesn’t stop him from snatching up his tuning wrench and flipping open the top of the piano to tune it up properly, however. “You’re just lucky this is such a nice piano to begin with, or it would have really suffered over all these years...” 

Shu bites down a retort of _it’s just a piano, idiot_ , and simply kneels behind Rei, tape measure lashing out. “She didn’t take care of her dolls, either, just collected them. To me, that’s simply an unacceptable level of mental illness. Feet wider apart.”

Rei half-heartedly shuffles to obey, and rolls up his sleeves to stick his hands down into the piano’s crevices. “Agreed. If you’re going to collect nice things, you might as well take care of them.” He glances up briefly, blowing a strand of hair out of his face as he glances around the room. “You _really_ like sewing, huh.”

“Yes. I’m nearly as good at sewing as I am at writing.” Shu takes the measurements, apparently satisfied with what he finds, fingers skating over Rei’s inner thighs. “Ninety exactly, what a beautiful length. You must look incredible in boots.”

“Oi,” Rei flatly complains, even if he doesn’t look up from his work on tuning the piano. “If you’re gonna be super touchy, warn a guy first.” 

“I’m measuring you, learn to endure. I’ll only need to do this once, unless you grow.”

Shu makes a show of moving the measuring tape, explaining overly patiently, “I’ll be measuring your hips now, if you have no objections.”

“You know, I only said something because you felt my thighs up. Go on, tell me how nice my hip to waist ratio is for a guy.”

“It’s magnificent. Honestly, I’m thrilled to work with such a delightful palette.” Shu purses his lips, sitting back on his heels. “You know, I think you’re probably very sexy.”

Rei snorts out a laugh, nearly banging his head against the piano. “You think? Thanks, it’s my one marketable skill.” He tightens a last wire before closing the lid. “I thought about starting a rock band unit or something, but see, everyone sucks, and the one guitarist that came in this year is way too loud for me to tolerate working with him...” 

“A piano and violin virtuoso playing rock?” Shu sniffs, wrapping the tape around Rei’s waist. “Marketability is overrated. Anything you do well enough will be recognized eventually. I’ll force the vulgar masses to comprehend my art if I must. It’s better than producing something I don’t care about for the rest of my life. If I wanted to do that, I’d become an accountant.”

“You’re a cute idealist, aren’t you?” Rei teases, turning around in Shu’s grasp to lightly lean back against the piano. “I like rock, I like classical...they both sell okay, but you know what doesn’t at all? Jazz. I’m fucked, basically.” 

Shu blinks, messing with the tape, trying to make it hang correctly when Rei’s pelvis is so close to his face. “Who told you jazz doesn’t sell? Everything sells if you’re good enough. I simply happen to believe in practice and dedication. And my own overwhelming talent and skill, of course. I thought you were the same.”

“You know,” Rei drawls, drumming his fingers slowly back against the piano’s edge, “when you say things like that, it’s pretty insulting. I’m good, I do nothing but practice, and I still have the sense to know when to quit something that no one wants to fucking buy.” 

Shu’s face twists in distaste. “Then sell out in your own time if you must, but I don’t want to hear anything in Valkyrie except music of the highest, most passionate quality. Anything else is a waste of my time and the audience’s attention. I’d frankly rather starve to death than do music I didn’t care about.”

“Big talk from someone who hasn’t even put music in front of me yet. How do you know we’re going to like the same thing, huh?” 

Shu’s brow furrows. He takes thigh measurements instead of looking Rei in the eye, frustrated. “I’d rather do music I hate that someone cares about than something calculated to sell. Also, take that out of your pants, it’s throwing off my measurements.”

Rei’s eyes roll so hard he swears they’ll fall out of his skull. “Damn, you’re forward. At least kiss me first.” 

Shu cocks his head to the side. “I meant the sock. All very well and good for your aesthetic, it certainly works for you, but--”

“You know, I _am_ 179 centimeters tall, so it shouldn’t be a shocker that I’m proportionate.” 

“...I’m 175. That is _not_ proportionate.”

Rei shrugs. “Still shorter than me. Anyway, there’s no sock, you’re gonna have to deal.” 

“Seriously?” Shu blinks, and only barely refrains from touching to confirm. No, bad, normal boys wouldn’t do that. “Hmph, fine. Do you prefer your clothing to accent, or downplay?”

“It’s your unit, isn’t it?” Rei’s fingers itch to set to the piano behind him, but it’s fine, he’ll be patient and humor Shu’s dressmaking needs for at least a few more minutes...because this is starting to get amusing. “I _will_ be your sex appeal if that’s what you want. Just make sure you don’t start trying to drool like that on stage.”

“Don’t be stupid. Your sex appeal won’t matter to me onstage. Nothing does.” Shu’s longing for it shows in his voice, almost reverent, and he stands, shaking out his sleeping limbs and measuring Rei’s arms. “Yes, yes, that’s all I need, you can go back to your tuning. Perhaps the plunking will help me focus on my sewing.”

“If you ever call it ‘plunking’ again, I...” Rei trails off, shaking his head as he turns around, and plops down onto the piano bench while tying his hair back with a scrunchie that was absolutely in his pocket. “Do you have anything composed yet? Otherwise, you’re putting up with whatever I wanna play.” 

“Mm, of course. I’ve been working on these for months. I have...six songs completely finished. It’s as much as I felt comfortable with before knowing the unit composition. One moment.”

Shu runs downstairs, then back up again with his laptop in tow, opening it to start playing one that he’d recorded. “It’s all synth for now, obviously, but Wataru is talking to the pit band of his new show for me about re cording the background with a full orchestra.”

Rei isn’t sure what he expected, but it’s...yeah, this actually sounds about right. Synth aside, mixing up a music box with a startling amount of old school visual kei and string quartet elements _is_ right up his alley, and that’s a relief. “Nice,” Rei says after the first song finishes, and he turns back to the piano, checking the key with a quick, open chord, and then shakes out his hands. “Turn that off, I’m going to play through it. It’s good, just humor a couple of changes for a moment--assume I’m a hell of a soloist if you’re writing for me.” 

Shu’s fingers tingle with the desire to compose _right now_ , but he forces himself to sit still and listen, making a few notes here and there on his computer. The second Rei is finished, he exhales, sitting back on his heels and closing his eyes. “All right,” he says finally. “This is...going to be a _very_ good unit.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Onii-chan,” Ritsu drawls, hopping up on Rei’s coffin, “that’s really homo.”

He kicks his feet back and forth, trying not to smirk too much. The Light Music Club room is at least nice and dark, though he can still see Rei just fine. 

That guy from his brother’s unit had showed up, dropped off a plastic bag full of clothing, commanded Rei to put it on, and had to hurry off to take care of something unexpected for a group project, promising to be back in a few minutes with a massive huff of irritation. He’ll be back, apparently, but not soon enough to stop Ritsu from looking his brother up and down, noting every slinky stitch, every place the fabric hugs his body _just so_ , flattering and accentuating in all the places...well. All the places _he_ would have done, if he knew how to sew. “Shucchan wants you real bad.”

“Hush,” Rei sniffs, straightening his coat to better button it all into place. “I told him I’d be his sex appeal, he’s just working with that.” 

Admittedly, Shu definitely is ‘working with that’ to the nth degree. Rei probably shouldn’t have told him that he was extremely tolerant of tight things, but here he is. At least, he admits to himself, fixing his hair in the tiny mirror stowed away in the corner of the room, it’s all to his taste, and Shu _is_ a phenomenal tailor. “If I wasn’t sure he’d start touching your legs immediately, I’d say you should join us--ahh, I bet he’d put you in something super cute...” 

“You scared of him touching my legs? Heh, he’s done it before.” Ritsu stretches out, yawning, and lays down on top of the coffin roof. “Shucchan talks about you in class a lot. Mm, he wouldn’t let me sleep on his lap, though...rude...”

“Eh? He’s touched them before? Ritsu, you should’ve told me so I can scold him,” Rei complains, turning around and kneeling down (carefully, he’s pretty sure Shu will kill him if he fucks this up, and that’s fair) next to the coffin. “Don’t sleep in his lap, that’ll just encourage him.” He pauses, and then asks, unable to resist, “What does he say about me?” 

“That your music inspires him, and that Onii-chan is the most beautiful in all the world. Kinda embarrassing, really...no one really has the heart to tell him to shut up. Except Ecchan and Keito-kun. Ecchan told him if he talks about you again he’ll fill Shucchan’s doll room with cement.”

“You’re fucking with me,” Rei says with a laugh, reaching over to gently pinch one of Ritsu’s thighs. “I mean, I’m sure Tenshouin-kun likes to talk about messing with his dolls, but yeah. The rest of it, bullshit. Ritsuuu, you’re so cute, but you should sleep _in_ the coffin, not on the top...” 

“Too tired to get in.” Ritsu blinks sleepily up at his brother, then yawns again. “‘m not bullshit. Shucchan never shuts up about you. It’s seriously a pain...just sleep with him already so we can all go back to hearing him yell about staging...”

“You’re gonna go in,” Rei firmly says, hoisting Ritsu off of the top of his coffin in the next motion to toss him over his shoulder like he’s a sack of potatoes. He nudges open the heavy lid of the coffin with one foot, and drops Ritsu down inside. “You’re cute, but you’re wrong. He doesn’t want to sleep with me; most of the time, he’s insulting my taste. You’re so tired you’re hallucinating.” 

Ritsu curls up happily in the coffin, apparently at peace with being tossed around. “If Maa~kun talked about me like Shucchan talked about you, you’d be organizing an omiai...just let him touch it, Onii-chan, he built it a pocket. Those pants are really indecent...”

“How much are you staring at it, huh?” Rei teases, leaning over the coffin with his hands on his hips. “I’m already planning you an omiai, so try to behave yourself until then. I mean, I think vampires make shitty wives, just look at Mom, but, eh...” 

“Just don’t start crying like her. No one wants to hear a hundred and eighty centimeter guy cry like _oioioioioioio_.”

A brisk rap on the door sounds, and Ritsu pulls the lid shut with a soft, snuffling snore. “Rei?” Shu’s voice filters in. “Do they fit? I mean, of course they fit, but I require your input.”

Rei sighs, turning around from the coffin to face Shu and his critical stare, and straightens to his full height, spreading his arms. _Most beautiful in all the world, huh? That’s cute, but some cute bullshit, at best._ “I mean, I’m comfortable, and I think it looks good. Feel free to nitpick all you want, I can already tell you want to.” 

Shu’s eyes light up at the sight, and he rubs his hands together to keep them from immediately latching out onto Rei’s clothes. “Yes...ah, god, yes, _mon dieu_ , they look perfect, don’t they? Stand just a little--”

His hands do dart out then, positioning, displaying Rei, murmuring something about _tuning up_ , tugging gently on each hem. “Perfect, of course--but you’re a perfect canvas, aren’t you? Ah, I knew you’d look gorgeous, but obviously I outdid myself...can you move your hands forward?”

Itsuki Shu definitely has a particular kind of personality, and Rei supposes that it’s a good thing he’s fairly unfazed by it--and vice versa. Maybe that’s why this actually works as a partnership, sort of. “Mm, sure, sure.” Rei stretches his arms forward, wiggling his fingers. “You look happy. I don’t think I’ve seen you make that kinda face before, heh.” 

“Mm, looking at you while you look like this...of course I’d be happy.” Shu’s cheeks are flushed, his pupils huge in the dim light. He takes note of the stretch in the seams, and nods to himself. “Give me the jacket, there’s something I want to fix. Actually, give me everything, you don’t need to be carrying it around, I’ll keep it safe with my own.”

“...You’re surprisingly honest,” Rei manages with a laugh, now wavering on the edge as to whether or not Ritsu _was_ telling the truth about the things Shu has been saying. It’s kind of cute to imagine Shu acting like that, even if he’s leaving himself wide open for Eichi to be a total asshole. He shrugs off the jacket first, handing it over, and tugs off the shirt underneath as well to pass it over before shaking out his hair. Pants next, which take some wiggling to get out of, and he tosses those over the coffin, leaving him only in his boxer briefs. “Are we practicing tonight?” he asks, bending to scoop up his pants--which are definitely pajamas--to tug them back on. “Or is this a ‘gotta sew’ night?” 

“...hmm?” Shu shakes himself out of a Moment, face flushing even more, and takes the clothes (still warm) from Rei. “Ah, we should practice. This won’t take me long, and I don’t have much need for sleep anyway.”

“Same, same.” There’s no ignoring the way that Shu’s blood is thudding fast and fragrant, which is distracting, and Rei ignores the way his stomach wants to clench. _Feed, dumbass!_ his mind screams, and ah, no, no, he’s not going to think about that. His eyes might be trying to fixate on Shu’s neck too much, though. Rei breaks his own stare by buttoning his uniform back up and huddling up into his sweater once more. “Did you eat?” Because talking about _other_ people eating totally helps. “If not, I’m ordering pizza.” 

“Of course I ate,” Shu lies automatically, after a lifetime of lying to his parents, and more importantly, to Kiryuu’s mother. Ah, he should curl Mademoiselle’s hair, it’s looking a little peaky. “You can order whatever you like, though, you know the address. We’ll be practicing all night, so make sure you keep your energy up. I’m going to work you hard, Rei!”

From inside the coffin, there’s a sleepy, “Toooold youuuu~”

Rei kicks the side of the coffin, and leaves it at that. 

He does know Shu’s address by heart now, which means he orders pizza over the phone on the way there. Plans to stuff pizza down Shu’s throat aside, he sneaks into a bakery in the station before Shu really notices, and reemerges before Valkyrie’s neurotic ‘leader’ has gotten another few paces through the crowds. “Croissants on sale, it’s a miracle,” he hums, stuffing the bag into Shu’s hand before grabbing him by the arm to drag him through the last of the station crowds. “We both can have our indulgences tonight.” 

Shu’s stomach rumbles loudly, and he almost groans, only holding back by sheer force of will and knowing that such a thing is unbecoming in public. “I suppose as long as you got a good deal and you aren’t going to eat them, I _might_ partake,” he manages, clinging to Rei’s arm looped through his, trying to focus on _Rei, Rei, Rei_ instead of the press of the throng.

Admittedly, he’s usually thinking of _Rei, Rei, Rei_ these days.

Fortunately, it isn’t far to his house, and he sets on the bag like a man possessed, savoring each flaky-light bite of the first croissant, whimpering a little. “It’s...this bakery is _so_ good,” he groans, slumping back against the wall. “It’s very unfair, really. Mm, thank you for these.”

Rei suddenly regrets only getting two, but then again, Shu is fickle enough about food that he probably wouldn’t eat more than that, anyway. “If you’re gonna indulge, do it properly,” Rei says with a shrug, tossing his bag onto the floor in front of the couch, and setting his violin down far more gently. Shu needs to _stop_ making noises like that when he’s just eating. He blames Ritsu for this...but it isn’t as if Shu isn’t always pretty, and touchy, and...smells _delicious..._

No, he’s just fucking hungry.

Rei drops down onto the couch with a sigh, shutting his eyes. “Pizza will be here in a few minutes, and once I eat, I’m ready to go all night,” he says with a flutter of one hand. “We’ve been so busy it’s hard to remember to eat, you know?”

Shu sighs, polishing off the last of his delectable croissant, thinking about his stomach and deciding to wait a few minutes before tucking into the second one. “I know too well,” he admits. “I just, ah, I hate food, honestly. Croissants are the only thing I take actual pleasure from eating.” He gives Rei a critical look, then says carefully, “I imagine you must have some idea of what it’s like to only be satisfied by a very particular foodstuff.”

“Yeah. Tomatoes, man. I’m fucking addicted to some red sauce.” 

Shu snorts out a laugh, then sets down his bag. “I’m changing out of my school clothes, be right back. Do you need to change? Or are your false uniform pajamas good to go for the foreseeable future?”

“I dunno, is that a hint that I should be stripping down?” Rei teases, cracking open an eye. “I like my pajamas, personally, but if you’ve got something else for me to try on...” 

“As if I’m going to run out of clothing I think you’d look good in? Preposterous.”

A few minutes later, Shu emerges from his room in his practice clothes, tossing a spare set to Rei. “Not quite as flattering as our new unit outfits, but...hmm, I thought those might look nice.” They _might_ be perfectly tailored for Rei, just another pet project he’d gotten up in the middle of the night to work on, a better version of his uniform.

“...You know, you’ve got a way with compliments,” Rei mutters, holding up the clothes with a tilt of his head before the doorbell rings, and he’s on his feet in an instant. Tomatoes should help, or at least, it’ll do _something_ \--maybe. Maybe, if Shu doesn’t start smelling even better tonight. 

Pizza acquired, Rei cradles the box like it’s something precious, and immediately drops back down onto the couch to open it up. “You’re welcome to a slice, if you want--ah, doorbells are a no-go, too, huh.” 

Shu shakes his head firmly, wincing at the loud sound. “Hate that. Ugh, why do people have to be so intrusive? No one wants to hear loud noises out of the blue in a place they feel safe. Why the hell would delivery food be a good thing?”

“Sit down and calm down,” Rei firmly says, grabbing Shu by the arm and dragging him down onto the couch next to him while he eats. “Delivery food is great if they’re bringing good Italian. Otherwise, I agree, I hate noisy things.” 

Shu huffs, and somehow manages to relax against Rei’s side, a quivering ball of nerves from the closeness. Quietly, he murmurs, “You’re colder to the touch than I expected.”

“Sorry. Vampires and their cold, dry skin, it’s the worst.” Rei drapes an arm around Shu’s waist, making sure he stays put while he destroys a slice of pizza. “You’re way warmer than I thought you’d be. We should be better about this, pretty sure you can’t be in a unit without skinship or whatever.” 

“O....oh.” Shu swallows so hard it might as well be audible, but doesn’t make to pull away. “I don’t hate it. Your temperature. Kiryuu--my other friend, he’s always far too warm.”

Rei starts to make another comment-- _you shake like my mom’s chihuahua_ comes to mind--but bites his tongue in favor of eating another piece of pizza. “Kiryuu--right, that one,” he murmurs after chewing and swallowing. His fingers drum against Shu’s side absently. “Keito mentioned something about trying to drag him into a unit. I hope he survives, Keito can be vicious.” 

“Keito? Vicious?” Shu scoffs, then promptly steals a slice of pizza, nibbling on the end despite his better judgment. “He’s a sad little man, chasing Tenshouin’s coattails. If Kiryuu has any sense, he won’t bother with someone like that.” 

He sighs, tongue flicking out to lick up a stray tomato. “But he’s always been...drawn to those who need protection. For which I’ve previously been grateful, I suppose.”

It’s like coaxing the most skittish animal in existence out of hiding, but so long as Shu eats enough to actually practice all night without dying, Rei’s fine with that. “There’s a reason why Keito and Tenshouin are best friends,” he says with a little shrug, leaning forward to pluck up a third slice, and takes his time with this one. “They’re both evil. Maybe your friend will beat mine up, that would be nice, and then the student council will stop trying to target us.” 

“Kiryuu can beat anyone up,” Shu says with satisfaction. “He hates bullies. Ah, and he used to be a delinquent...we disagree about that part of his life, however. It was better in elementary school, when his mother...was alive.” His heart twists, hands fidgeting, almost grasping for something out of his reach.

“Ahh, so you’ve got a type, got it.” That’s a better branch of conversation to pursue, especially when Shu looks so stressed. “No wonder you didn’t hesitate to let me join your grand project.” 

Shu blinks, startled out of his reverie. “What? Type? No, you’re far more beautiful than Kiryuu. He couldn’t compare.”

“Sure.” Shu _really_  is cute when it comes to compliments, dammit. ‘Sexy’ or ‘cool’ or ‘talented’—those are things Rei has heard a million and one times, but… “I was referring more to the delinquent part, but it’s cool, I’ll keep hiding my bad rep from you.” 

Much to his own surprise, Shu feels himself slowly flush pink. “I...hmm. You don’t have to hide it. I don’t...mind it.” Good lord, Rei is going to be disgusted with him for being so obvious. He turns to the side, grabbing a nearby doll and straightening her skirts. “One is drawn to the things one does not possess, is one not?”

_Don’t say it, don’t make that joke, don’t—_ “Ahh, got it. So _that’s_  why you keep checking out my dick at every opportunity.” 

Shu gets up from the sofa so fast his head spins, and his voice is high-pitched and a little squeaky when he says, “Finish your pizza! I’m going upstairs! To do real work!”

 

Rei chokes on a laugh, shaking his head as he finishes up a last piece of pizza and hauls himself to his feet again. “Nope, nope, I’m coming, too~” he sing-songs, grabbing Shu’s arm again. “Don’t you want me to change into the stuff you made for me? Don’t you wanna seeee?”

“No! You’re horrible, you twist my words into something _very_ perverted--” Shu tries to tug his arm away with impressive failure.

“Uh huh.” Rei bats his eyelashes at him, completely undeterred. “Is that why I’ve been hearing things from Ritsu about how you go on and on about how much you like my music, how _pretty_  you think I am—“

Dismay is written all over Shu’s face, and he huffs so hard it nearly makes him faint again. “That--you know full well I think you’re lovely--but you’re awful, I’m going to boil him in a pot--”

“Mm mm, nope, that’s my little brother, he’s off-limits.”

Shu’s blood is thundering, a thready pulse that makes Rei suck in a breath shaper than intended, and suddenly smell even _more_  of it. Red sauce is nice and all, but it does little when there’s something delicious right in front of him, and Shu, if nothing else, has always smelled _incredibly_  appetizing. 

It’s worse, when he’s riled up like this.

“I have to admit,” Rei breathes, letting Shu pull him forward when he tries to tug away, and promptly uses that step to shove Shu against the nearest wall. “I thought I’d end up doing this over some kinda ‘creative difference’, but you and I just get on too well for that, don’t we.”

Shu looks up, heart thudding against his ribs. He opens his mouth to protest, lifts his hands to shove Rei away...

And, inexplicably, yanks him closer. “I thought we would too,” he admits, and closes his eyes, leaning forward in a blind grab of a kiss. It’s seemed mildly inevitable since the day they met, but damn, he’s glad he hadn’t had to wait too long.

Thank _god_  Shu kisses him, thank fucking god, because two seconds later, and Rei’s sure he would have bitten instead. 

Shu’s that perfect height for sinking his fingers into his hair and tilting his face up, and Rei does just that, dragging him up into kiss that has his full enthusiasm behind it. The taste of Shu’s mouth makes Rei groan when his tongue quickly shoves its way inside, and dragging a thigh up between Shu’s is easy when he feels Shu almost immediately go all wobbly.

Rei’s thigh between his own makes Shu gasp, hands clutching at Rei’s back, drawing him in closer, closer, though it feels like it can’t possibly be close enough. Rei’s kiss is intense, distracting, taking him over and dragging little noises out of his mouth, making him melt bonelessly against the wall. “Rei,” he whispers, uncertain even in his desperation, unsure what he’s even asking for, praying silently that Rei knows better and can help him.

“Yeah,” Rei mutters, grabbing Shu’s face up into his hands to kiss him harder as he presses up against the wall with his body. “Yeah, s-same—shit, Shu, you’re already so fucking hard,” he breathlessly laughs as he draws back, licking his lips. His eyes flick down, his thigh deliberately rubbing forward between Shu’s legs when he feels how hard Shu’s cock is against him. “You gonna let me take care of you?” _You’re grabbing at me and saying my name, but it’s pretty obvious you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing._

“I can--”

Shu tries to figure things out, gripping and grabbing at every bit of Rei’s clothing that he can reach, trying to tell himself that this is fine, he can do this, he’s not going to be a disappointing embarrassment, Rei doesn’t mind. He thrusts his own hand down, trying to remember how to move his hands when Rei is _pressing_ against him, and somehow manages to wrap his hand around Rei’s cock. “It’s...it’s so big,” he whispers, mind stuck on that fact. “Since the first day, I wanted...”

Rei wants to laugh and tease him about that, but his breath sort of stutters in his throat, and all he can mutter is a vague “Fucking size queen” insult. Shu has nice, pretty fingers, soft and delicate and careful, and Rei can’t help but reach down to close his hand over the back of Shu’s, pressing his hand harder against the line of his cock through his pants. “You wanted it?” he coaxes, tilting his head to mouth a kiss against the side of Shu’s neck against all his fucking better judgement. _Mistake,_ what a fucking mistake, because he can _feel_  the pulse of Shu’s blood, and Rei shudders, nipping once, not drawing blood, but god, if he could… “You want it in you?” he husks. “Even if it’s this big?” 

Shu’s knees buckle at the words, and only Rei’s hands on him manage to keep him upright, pressed against his living room wall. Rei tastes like tomatoes, which Shu usually detests, but god, he needs more. His hand curls hard around the thick hot shaft rutting against his palm, and he feels his mouth start to water as he nods. “Wanted to touch it,” he mutters, finishing his first thought. He hesitates, but Rei is being _good_ to him, touching hard and thorough, and he admits in a whisper like none he’s ever said aloud, “Wanted you...to fuck me with it.”

Never mind, maybe Shu _does_  know what he’s fucking doing. 

“Fuck, you know how to talk to a guy, don’t you, Shu?” Rei laughs helplessly, his head thunking briefly against the wall when his cock throbs against Shu’s fingers, and he can’t help but grind forward, rubbing against his hand. “All right—yeah, I’ll fuck you, I’ve got you, I’ll make you feel good,” he breathes, nuzzling against Shu’s neck again, biting at his earlobe and letting his fangs catch against the skin, just a _little_. He can’t think straight when he’s this hard, so fuck it. “Turn around, pretty boy,” he murmurs. “I’m gonna do you right here.”

Shu’s mind spins with the suddenness of it, the sheer searing heat of what’s between them, the bite to his ear and thick hot length against his hand. Even with his mind spinning, he’s so hard it hurts, even hurts in his soft loose practice pants, and he can only think that if he obeys, if he does as Rei is asking, Rei will keep making him feel like this.

He turns, and because it makes sense, he shoves his pants down to pool around his ankles, letting his legs spread as he rests his forehead and hands against the cool wall. One hand brushes the edge of a stupid-looking old painting his grandmother had loved, and Shu hopes her ghost is horrified at how he’s acting. “Can you--you’re taller than me, is this...?”

“Mm, I’ve got you.” Rei can’t help but put his hands on the curve of Shu’s ass, starting at his hips and then stroking down to squeeze, his fingers kneading in when his hips rock forward. He thumbs down the hem of his own pants, letting them pool to his ankles, and tugs down his underwear enough to free his cock and let it rub forward, hard and hot and dripping as it grinds against the cleft of Shu’s ass. “Not like it matters to me if you’ve gotta be on tiptoe,” he breathes, mouthing a wet kiss to the back of Shu’s neck. “You just want it in you, right?” 

This is absurdly _more_ than anything Shu has ever done. Hell, it’s dirtier than the vast majority of his _fantasies_ , with Rei grabbing at him, rubbing his cock over his ass as if there’s no question it’s going to happen. It feels impossibly large, and Shu’s hands knead against the wall as he murmurs, “It’s--it’s too big, there’s no way it’s going to fit in me.”

“It’ll fit.” Rei forces one of his hands away to delve into his sweater pocket, and—thankfully, he’s still neurotic enough to have a couple of packets of lube in there. He tears open one of them and it spills all over his fingers, leaving them slick, dripping when they drag up against Shu’s hole. “First things first,” he sighs, nuzzling his face into the back of Shu’s hair. “Let’s get you all ready for me.” 

Shu is achingly tight, and sliding that first finger inside does take work. Normal, sane people would probably think _yeah, it’s gonna be too much work to get my dick in there, too_ , but Rei isn’t normal, and he _knows_  he isn’t sane. “You’re so tight I’m gonna die,” he rasps, sucking on the side of Shu’s neck when he wriggles that finger in to the second knuckle, curling, stroking. “Be a good boy for me.”

“Don’t...d-don’t--”

Shu gasps for air, trembling and wriggling around just that one finger, trying to master his body’s reactions, furious when it isn’t as easy as he thinks it should be. It’s so good with just that much that he feels his eyes roll back into his head, breath stuttering. “Don’t, don’t you dare die before you get it in me, Sakuma Rei!”

“Then be _good_ ,” Rei teases, biting the lobe of Shu’s ear as he works a second finger inside already, unable to help himself. Shu is fucking _cute_ , and the way he squirms makes it hard not to just try to shove it _in_  already. His own cock twitches and aches, rubbing against the back of Shu’s thigh as he presses his fingers in deep, and he hooks his other arm around Shu’s waist, steadying him in advance when he finds just where to stroke and press, and does so in a thorough, intense _rub._  

Shu’s body shudders hard, torn between wanting more and wanting to expel the invader, and the warring sensation feels like it’s wrenching him apart, sending him into frantic spasms as his cock spills against the wall, hands splayed against the old paper as he rocks urgently back against Rei’s hand. “God...” His words are slurred, half a whine, half a groan as he slumps forward. “Just...Damn, _damn_ , do that again, keep--keep doing it to me--” It’s going to hurt so much later, and he wants it even more for all of that.

“Just that?” _There’s one_ , Rei smugly thinks, indulgently pleased with himself as he milks Shu’s orgasm as long as he can, stroking him inside, petting his other hand down his back as he mouths kisses to his neck. “Good, isn’t it?” he breathes, spreading those two fingers wider as he feels Shu relax, even though it’s just a little. “Are you gonna keep coming just on my hand?” 

“If...” Words are usually Shu’s domain, his favorite thing, but they’re eluding him completely while Sakuma Rei’s hand is inside him, playing him like his own perfect lovely puppet. The thought makes him shudder, another spurt trickling out the end of his still-hard cock, and he twists back again, moaning as he turns, trying for a sloppy, inaccurate kiss. “If you keep doing that, then yes! I will keep coming!”

“Is that supposed to make me stop doing it?” Rei laughs, surging forward to meet Shu for that kiss. It’s inaccurate on his end, too, and his fangs nick into Shu’s lower lip, drawing the tiniest droplet of blood—and Rei shivers, sucking in a ragged breath through his nose as the taste of just that much makes his eyes glaze. “You taste so fucking good,” he mutters, getting a third finger in there while he can, while Shu is still trembly-pliant-eager, and he can _feel_  how much of a stretch even that much is. “Fuck, you’re gonna feel good on my dick.” 

The stretch of the third finger sends a tremor of uncertainty through Shu, and he reaches back, grabbing Rei’s other hand, squeezing as he looks back. “Will it...hurt a lot? I want you to do it either way, I just want to be prepared.” At this point, nothing is going to stop him from getting fucked against a wall by the hottest man he’s ever met.

_Good, he’s not paying attention to the fact I want to drink him dry._  Rei swallows hard, shaking himself out of that thought process as much as he can. “I’m gonna be careful,” he promises, giving Shu’s hand a squeezes as he curls those fingers in deep and slow, exhaling a measured breath of his own. “If you want me in you, it’s gonna feel good. That’s all there is to it.” 

“I want it. I--” Shu gulps at the air, then fumbles around behind him, reaching for Rei’s cock and giving it a firm squeeze. It doesn’t feel _so_ big, if he doesn’t look at it, and Rei swears it’ll feel good.

He shifts, getting his feet farther apart, bending over to rest his hands on the wall, hoping he doesn’t look quite as lewd as he fears. “Then it’ll feel good, so...stop stopping yourself and do it.”

“Yeah—yeah, okay,” Rei gasps, his head knocking against the back of Shu’s shoulder the second he grabs his cock. That’s just not fucking fair, and Shu has to know that, especially when he bends over like that, begging, trembling, _begging_ …

Rei sucks in a ragged breath, withdrawing his hand carefully, and he fumbles for the second packet of lube. It drips over his cock, his fingers working to slick it down his cock, and just pressing the head of his cock against that tight little hole nearly makes his own knees buckle. “I’m gonna make you feel so good,” he breathlessly promises, mouthing kisses down Shu’s neck and shoulders, rubbing his cock there, feeling the way Shu twitches, clenches, and god, pushing inside… 

It’s with a soft, ragged grunt of effort that he gets the head of his cock in, and Rei’s fingers tremble as they close around Shu’s hips, steadying himself as much as he steadies Shu. “There we go—that’s a good boy,” he pants out, his eyes lidded as he rocks forward bit by bit.

The feeling of being split open, of having something so big inside him that it steals his breath--it’s too big, too much, and Shu’s mind just gives up on trying to properly process the feeling. It’s so thick and so _hard_ , forcing Rei’s cock deep inside, making him hiccup and writhe, his body sparking into confused spasms. It’s so much it’s as if Shu forgets to be in pain, forgets everything except how Rei feels so _good_ in him, fucking in deep and hard and making him scream. Tears streak down his cheeks, and god, he’s never felt so human in his entire life. 

Words won’t come, but he thumps the wall, reaching back to grab at Rei’s arm. “You’re so good,” he forces out, hearing the words as if they’re coming from someone else’s mouth. “So good--god, I want you so bad, fuck me, _fuck me_ \--”

Shu is _gonna_ fucking kill him.

The noises he’s making, the way he’s squirming and reaching back and grabbing at him--Rei feels his self-control quickly snap, and he grabs for Shu’s hand, pins it over his head, and shoves forward those last few centimeters until he’s buried in as far as he can go, as _deep_ as he can go.

“Fuck,” Rei pants out, his fingers squeezing tight around Shu’s wrist as he rolls his hips forward, savoring the way Shu clenches around him, too tight, too _much_ , but it’s hot and slick and shoving Shu into the wall with every thrust, up onto his toes when he’s _especially_ enthusiastic, feels fucking _perfect_. “Shu...Shu, you feel so good,” he groans, planting a long, sucking kiss to the side of Shu’s neck, and the aching, desperate urge to bite isn’t long behind. His fangs nick at Shu’s skin, and his tongue flicks out, tasting the tiniest bit of blood that wells up, the saltiness of sweat, and that alone makes Rei fuck in harder, the rhythmic slap of skin making his cock throb. 

The scrape of teeth over his neck hardly registers in Shu’s mind when every other sensation is so overwhelming, so unbearable and pleasurable and unbearably pleasurable that he feels like he’s on the verge of passing out again, all from the way Rei’s thick cock drives into his body over and over, filling him far past anything he could imagine. Mindlessly he claws at the walls, half-trying to climb up them for some tiny respite from the brutal claiming, but every time Rei holds him still and yanks him down, he’s grateful. 

Somewhere deep in his mind, underneath the bright-hot sunbursts of sensation that bloom in his mind with every aching thrust, there’s a shade of wonder that Rei is here, that this is Rei, that this is Sakuma Rei, the most beautiful man he’s ever seen, someone Shu would be lucky to touch on the best of days, and that Rei is grabbing him, kissing him, _wanting_ him. 

His body gives up, sagging down into a cloud of endorphins, cock weakly painting the walls again in fitful spurts as he lets out a breathy, broken groan. “H...Harder,” he whispers, not knowing why he’s asking for something he knows he can’t take. “Rei, please--”

That seems like a pretty dumb request, but who is Rei to judge right now? 

He feels Shu’s knees buckle, his body sag, and all it takes is a strong (albeit shaky) arm around his waist to keep him up, to hold him back against him when he grinds in, fucking him hard. His own cock aches and throbs, and every thrust _hurts_ , still too tight, even if Shu is a trembly, pliant mess now, it doesn’t matter, he’s still--

_So fucking perfect that I can’t stop, I can’t, I--_

It’s the last thought Rei has before his teeth sink in deep, drawing the kind of blood that he can really _taste_ , and the sudden burst of flavor over his tongue, the way Shu slowly writhes in his arms, that’s over and beyond too much. Rei only manages a meager gulp of a taste before he rips himself away, panting, gasping for a full breath of air as he comes, his own fingers digging into the wall as pulse after pulse makes his own legs threaten to fall out from underneath him, his cock buried in so deeply that there’s not even a chance for anything to leak out when he comes. 

“Fuck,” he dazedly breathes, butting his head into the back of Shu’s neck, mindlessly nuzzling there, planting random kisses as he struggles to stay on his feet. “Shu...Shu, you’re so good...”

Shu’s knees buckle the last little bit, until the only thing holding him up is Rei’s arm around his waist. To be fair, this is about as good as he’s ever felt on the verge of passing out, a thought that forces a tiny laugh out of him. “Sorry, I’m just...going to be useless for a while,” he manages, without even the strength to cling to Rei for support.

“No, that’s good, that’s good,” Rei sighs, mouthing another kiss to the side of Shu’s neck...and getting another taste of the blood that stains his skin there in the process. He shudders, shifting, and settles for licking straight over that bite mark instead of biting down again. “Just tell me when you want me to pull out,” he murmurs. “Otherwise, I’m still enjoying myself. Sorry about your neck, you’re gonna want a high collar tomorrow.” 

“I always wear high collars,” Shu sighs. When Rei shows no trouble with holding him up, he gives in to the urge to sag down even farther, murmuring, “You could carry me to a seat, Vampire. I’ll...” His cheeks are already so red, a little more isn’t going to change anything. “I’ll let you keep it in as long as you want if I can sit down.”

“Higher collars. You’re so cute, but we’re both gonna die at this rate,” Rei mutters, his own legs threatening to wobble again as he turns his head to get a good look at the distance between here and the couch...and boy, that seems like a lot of coordination and skill right now. “Well, you’ve let me fuck you once, you’ll let me do it again later,” he hums, _carefully_ rocking back, wincing as he pulls his cock out, hands steadying Shu to make sure he isn’t going to hit the floor immediately. “You’re fine by the way--I was careful even when you were begging for me to fuck you up,” he teases, hefting Shu up into his arms in short order and depositing him on the couch. _He_ just plain gives up, flopping down onto the floor next to it, and sighs in relief at being able to just _sit_. 

Shu can’t think of anything in the world that could make him get up right now, so he lets every single muscle he has go slack and relaxed, for the first time he can remember in...actually, for the first time he can remember. “I didn’t know it was possible to feel as if one was hit by a train, but in a good way.”

“Yeah, that’s how you know it was good.” Rei wearily reaches for his pizza, then thinks the better of it. He’d rather have the taste of Shu’s blood in his mouth a little bit longer. “You taste so good it’s criminal.” He didn’t really mean to say that out loud, but oh well. 

“Eat your pizza.” Shu reaches up, fingering the lingering bite marks over his neck. “You can have another taste later. I’ll just...add more ruffles. I like making ruffles.”

“Don’t invite me or I won’t stop,” Rei quickly warns, and then hesitates, tilting his head back to stare up at Shu. _You’re human, you should probably be less calm about this_ \--that’s what he should say, but what he says instead is: “I can always drink from your thigh instead.”

“That would be less visible. A good compromise, I think.” Shu’s hand flops down to the ground, resting against the hard wood, then moves to pet Rei’s hair. “You’re so beautiful. This doesn’t even seem real.”

Rei butts his head up against Shu’s hand, slinking himself slowly upward again to plop his chin on the couch cushion. “You’ve definitely got a way with compliments,” he says, rather content with being petted. “You know you’re like...that delicate kinda handsome-pretty that guys really wanna mess around with, right? Half the reason I tried to save you on unit fair day was because you looked cute.” 

“Did I? That doesn’t make sense.” Shu moves just a bit, enough to nuzzle his nose against Rei’s, still petting his hair. “I feel like I have so much more to improve on myself. I just hit a rather distressing growth spurt.”

“Uh huh. I can tell. You’re like a fawn, trying to figure out how to walk,” Rei teases, tilting his head to steal a quick kiss from Shu’s mouth. “It’s fucking cute. The same thing happened to me, but in middle school when I was like, _eleven_ , so I feel your pain.” 

“I can’t imagine someone like you ever being awkward.” Shu’s hands tangle in Rei’s hair now, slowly stroking through, relishing the contact, leaning in for another brush of soft lips. “Both you and your brother, you have that sort of timeless beauty--I feel like you would have been a lovely child, too.”

“I’m literally awkward right now,” Rei dryly says, his eyes fluttering as his hair is _thoroughly_ petted, yes, good, that’s good. “Ritsu is far more lovely in my opinion, he’s never had an ugly phase.” He lurches up to steal another kiss, lazy and content. “And it’s a damn shame he’s in Knights.” 

“Knights is the most pathetic waste of talent I’ve ever seen,” Shu says. If he had a little more energy, he’d be huffing. As it is... “Ritsu’s better than that, but we’ll have to crush him eventually.”

“Oh, I know. Then maybe he’ll want to give up Knights and join us...” Rei dreamily says, idly petting a hand down Shu’s hip to rest on his thigh, savoring the thud of his pulse underneath his fingertips. “You always smell _so_ good,” he murmurs, scooting up a bit more to shove his face back into Shu’s neck. 

“I’m a very clean person,” Shu gasps, head rolling back to let Rei have access. “Maybe--is it my soap, or...something more, ah, intrinsic...?”

“Mmn, I wasn’t talking about that...though you do smell good in that way, too.” Rei’s fingers squeeze against Shu’s thigh, gently kneading as he presses a kiss to the arc of Shu’s throat. “You smell like a banquet,” he sighs. “Even Ritsu noticed it, day one; I had to stop him from trying to feed on you.” 

Shu’s fingers slide into Rei’s hair against his scalp, gently scraping. He worries at his lip, contemplating how to say the next thing, and finally says, “I can tell you’re...somewhat like me. You don’t...eat much. Doesn’t it make you feel weak and ill?”

“...Yeah. Like I said earlier...I forget all the time, music’s more important.” Rei draws back after another light nip, and plops his chin down into one hand, watching Shu through lidded eyes. “I cheat. Tomato juice boxes. It works, sorta, when I remember.”

“Like me with croissants.” Shu hesitates a second, then lets his thighs part, resting one knee on Rei’s shoulder. “Will I...become one, if you do? The idea doesn’t appeal to me, honestly.”

“Like you with croissants.” Rei hesitates in turn, and turns his head to kiss the inside of Shu’s knee. “I already took a sip while we were doing it,” he wryly points out. “You’re not gonna turn. If I keep at it, though, you’re gonna _have_ to start eating more, or you’ll start feeling really sick.” 

Shu narrows his eyes, suspicious. “Is this a ploy to get me to take better care of myself? I’ve had people do that before, and I don’t like it.”

“It’s pretty basic biology? You’ve already got low blood sugar, when it spikes or gets too low, that’s why you pass out.” Rei leans forward, eyebrows raised. “If I drink from you, it’s gonna be _worse_. I’m not letting you die on me. Just let me shove a croissant at you before I wanna feed--or, don’t keep inviting me when you smell so good.” 

Shu snorts. “As if someone like you couldn’t resist me. Absurd.”

“I’ve been resisting since the day I met your prissy ass.” 

That draws a slow blink of surprise, and Shu’s hand stills in Rei’s hair. “Wait, really? But...but you’re so gorgeous, and cool, and beautiful, and talented. I mean, _I_ think I’m phenomenal, but it’s not usually an opinion shared by others.”

“...And most people don’t think I’m cool or beautiful when they hear two words out of my mouth,” Rei says with a laugh, nudging against Shu’s hand as he hauls himself up onto the couch entirely, kneeling between Shu’s legs. “I’ll say it again--you’re fucking cute. You’ve got the kinda face that guys wanna kiss. You’re pretty, you’re smart and talented, and you’ve got great taste in clothes and music.” He gives the inside of Shu’s thigh a little pinch. “I wanted to taste you two minutes after being around you, give yourself some credit.” 

After attempting to understand this for a good twenty seconds, Shu gives up, flopping back down to the couch. “You can do whatever you want to me,” he says, grabbing a throw pillow and dragging it over his blushing face. “Literally anything.”

Rei snorts, hauling Shu’s leg over his shoulder more comfortably as he kisses his way down from his knee, right up the inside of his thigh. “Literally anything, huh?”

The skin on his thigh twitches and ripples in anticipation, and Shu’s mouth goes dry as he nods. “Literally...anything,” he says, “but if you keep looking down there when I know I’m _dripping_ , I reserve the right to never make eye contact with you again.”

“You’re _barely_ dripping,” Rei teases, nipping the inside of Shu’s thigh. “Because I was in you _so_ deep when I came, and you’re really, really tight. But you can keep being cute and embarrassed, I’m all right with it.” 

Shu’s thigh jumps with the bite, but he doesn’t pull away, holding the pillow more tightly over his face. “O-or maybe your sperm count is just low,” he counters, trying to get a little of his own back. “That cool body temperature not good for something?”

“Nah, that’s not it. I’m totally gonna knock you up some day,” Rei cheerfully promises, sounding _entirely_ too serious about it, and he sucks on the same spot that he nipped, bringing all that delicious, fragrant blood up to the surface in a quickly darkening bruise. “Mmn, but first things first...”

He bites--careful and slow this time, none of the frantic desperation of when he’d just _had_ to have his teeth in Shu’s neck. Down here, it’s a lot easier to taste more of _Shu_ , skin and sweat and come, and Rei shudders as he swallows, savoring the sparse few mouthfuls he lets himself take. “Ahh, fuck, Shu,” he sighs as he draws back, licking at his stained lips. “You taste _way_ too good...”

Shu had thought he was in the fizzling throes of euphoria before, but the feelings sizzling through him now dwarf his post-orgasm bliss. He shivers, his whole body starting to convulse starting at the thigh, and a trickle of drool drips down his cheek. “That’s...”

He reaches a hand down, thoughtlessly rubbing his cock as it surges back to life, suddenly flushed painfully hard again, rubbing up against his palm. “Keep, keep going, it feels...oh, _mon dieu_...”

“I _can’t_ keep going or you’ll _die_ , that’s why I’m telling you to fucking eat more,” Rei groans, swiping his tongue along the trickle of blood that tries to escape down Shu’s thigh. He shivers hard, and scoots closer, batting Shu’s hand away from his cock.“I’m gonna take care of you either way,” he promises, leaning down to press his mouth to the head of Shu’s cock, licking a hot, wet stripe up it. 

This _feels_ like dying, or so Shu thinks wildly, half-screaming into the pillow pulled over his face, feet kicking slowly in overstimulation. His body feels sluggish, too sated already to move much, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to thrust up into Rei’s mouth, hand fumbling to get into Rei’s hair. “You’re--you’re killing me, I can’t possibly--that’s _dirty_ , you shouldn’t--ah, god, shit, _yes_ \--”

“You’re _cute_ when you start cursing,” Rei laughs, hiking both of Shu’s legs up and over his shoulders as he plants his hands into the couch and unapologetically swallows him down. Shu’s cock drags over his tongue, bumping at the back of his throat, and Rei groans at the musky taste, a sharp contrast to the sharp, coppery taste of the blood still coating his tongue. He bobs down further, until he nuzzles against Shu’s belly, against his perfectly trimmed (perfectly dyed, heh) hair, and glances up through his lashes to make sure his aim is right when he grabs for Shu’s other hand, making sure they’re both wrapped up in his hair. 

“ _Rei!”_

Shu half-collapses, half trembles when Rei swallows his cock, grateful that Rei is pinning his hips down, both hands coming up to fist in his hair. This is like something he never could have imagined, and surely he can’t be _entirely_ blamed for how his hands tangle, urgently yanking Rei’s mouth down. 

This is something he’s thought of more times than he cares to admit, and each time, he’s recoiled from the idea--it’s foul, it’s tongues meeting semen--but in practice, the wet heat of Rei’s mouth is something he’d die to get more of on his cock. “Please,” he gasps, legs tight and shivering, draped over Rei’s back. “Oh god, oh god, please...”

Shu is so hard against his tongue that it makes _Rei_ want to squirm. Feeling the way he twists and trembles, his heels digging into his back--Rei has no _choice_ but to suck him off like he’s going to die without more of Shu’s dick in his mouth. 

Not like the hands in his hair give him much choice, but that makes it better. His hands loosen against Shu’s hips, just a little, just enough to let him arch up when Rei sucks him down, letting him sink deeper down his throat when he swallows hard. The few times he draws back, it’s to drag his tongue over the head of Shu’s cock, to get a better taste of him when he’s dripping and desperate before Shu’s hands yank his head back down, and Rei’s muffled groan makes his approval clear. 

Shu opens his mouth to say something, but no words come to him. The pillow falls from his face, and he makes the mistake of looking down at Rei--

Lips stretched wide and red and slick, pupils blown with pleasure, silken black hair tumbling around his face, pale skin flushed with desire, a trail of wetness leading down from his lips--Rei looks like a painting of debauched beauty, so thoroughly used, so thoroughly his that Shu loses his mind, crying out as his hips jerk up, burying himself deep in Rei’s throat when he comes again, flooding over his tongue and ah, god, everywhere as he bucks and writh _es._ “Rei, _merde_ , fuck, you’re so--Rei--”

Shu’s hands are _strong_ (because of course they are), and Rei has to work to swallow, again and again until he feels Shu’s fingers tremble and relent. He carefully pulls back, releasing Shu’s cock with a slick pop, and gingerly wipes his mouth, stifling a cough behind it as he blinks away a few tears. Whoo. Waterproof eyeliner is useful right about now. “So now I know what you _really_ like,” he breathlessly teases, swaying slightly as he rocks back. “A mouth on your dick.”

“Please don’t repeat that,” Shu moans, throwing a hand over his face. “It sounds so _vulgar_ , even if you look like a debauched angel when you’re doing it.”

“Heehh, a what now?” Rei laughs, launching forward and flopping down against Shu unrepentantly. “I probably should’ve warned you how a proper bite makes humans really... _excited_.” 

“Oh...that’s right, you bit me.” Shu peers up, looks down, then says hesitantly, “I don’t want to do that to you, most likely ever. But you can take your pleasure some other way.”

“Oh, I don’t care,” Rei dismissively says, nuzzling his face into Shu’s neck. “When a dick is the size of mine, it’s not like the offers to blow it come pouring in in the first place,” he wryly points out. “Plus, I just don’t care. Mm, does that mean no kissing after I put your dick in my mouth, though?”

Shu makes a face. “I’d prefer not to. It just...doesn’t seem sanitary. Mosts tastes disagree with me, also.”

“I’ll keep mints on me or something, because I kinda want your dick in my mouth a lot, and I also want to kiss you a lot, so this could be an issue.” 

Even the tips of Shu’s ears turn pink at that, and he plants a foot on the side of Rei’s face, shoving at him. “You are demonstrably the worst.”

Unfazed, Rei grabs Shu’s ankle, and turns his head to kiss the bottom of his foot. “Yeah? You’re the one stepping on me. You got a thing for that, too, or--”

Shu squeaks, yanking his foot back, toes wiggling. “Pervert! Is it because you’re a vampire, or because you’re just _the worst?_ ”

“I think I’m just terrible,” Rei cheerfully says. “Runs in the family. You’re the one that was _begging_ me to keep going, to bite you again--”

“I don’t want to know about this kind of stuff happening in your _family_!” Shu kicks at Rei again, more gentle this time, landing a soft strike to his shoulder. “And wanting to have sex isn’t the same as liking _feet_. I thought you weren’t Japanese like that, honestly!”

Rei doesn’t even sway. “I like everything,” he honestly says, catching Shu’s foot again and running his thumb down the bottom of it. “And you’re cute, so you literally could ask and I’d be game. Just keep that in mind.” 

“That _tickles_ \--” Shu thrashes, slightly panicky even as he twists, huffing when Rei stops poking at him. “Why should I have to ask? You should just...do something to me. Ugh, that sounds lewd but that’s how I meant it, so...”

“You don’t _have_ to ask, I’m just saying, if you ever had something in mind,” Rei teases, releasing Shu’s foot with a last little pat. “But yeah, you’re right. I should just _do something_ to you. Whenever I want. Seems like you’re the real pervert with a suggestion like that.”

Shu throws the pillow at him, forcing it to earn its name. “Forget it, keep your erection, I hope it lasts for hours and you have to go to the hospital!”

Rei catches the pillow and hands it back with a smile. “Vampires get hard whenever they bite,” he says with a glint of teeth. “So that’s a silly thing for me to be worried about. Mmm, but that just means anytime you let me bite you, you might have to let me fuck you into a wall again...” 

“I’m not standing up. You can do me lying down or on the floor or in a bed or over the damned piano for all I care, but I’m not standing up again.”

Rei’s face lights up. “You’d let me do you over a piano? Oh, that’s happening in my club room, _definitely_.” 

“Idiot! I have a piano! Why would you want to do one in _public?_ ”

“Because Beatrice has been through enough.” 

“Who in the heavens is Beatrice? Who--oh, god, you named my piano, didn’t you?”

“I can’t believe you never named her before. You’re too cruel.”

“I told you, she wasn’t _mine_ , she was my grandmother’s. And you’re more protective of a collection of strings and keys than you are of most humans.” Shu sits up, straightening his hair. “Which I respect.”

“That’s because most humans are garbage, and there’s no such thing as a garbage instrument.” Rei surges forward to steal a kiss before Shu can squeal and protest about it. “Let me run you a bath or something, I can tell you’re losing your mind.” 

Shu looks down, uncertain. “You can just...leave it like that? It isn’t hurting you?”

“...That addicted to it already?” He can’t _not_ tease Shu, damn it. “Seriously, it’s fine--it’s _literally_ gonna do this every time I drink,” Rei reassures him, reaching over to fix Shu’s hair a bit more. “Vampires aren’t _that_ well-evolved, as you can see.” 

“But...” Shu butts against that hand, reaching out a hand to rest on Rei’s chest. “If someone’s offering to take care of it, isn’t that better? You were so good to me, I’d feel awful to be in your debt over something like this.”

“It’s not...you’re not in my debt,” Rei answers with a startled laugh, grabbing up Shu’s hand and pressing a kiss to his palm. “If you want to touch it, that’s fine, but you’re not...you’re _never_ obligated to. That’d be fucking creepy of me.” 

Shu blinks, tension starting to build in his neck and shoulders again. “I don’t...know how this works. And I’d rather not be in your debt for any reason, or be sort of...helplessly dependent, just because this is all new to me. So coach me if you have to, but don’t let me thoughtlessly take advantage.”

“...You wanna know something?” Rei rests his hands on Shu’s shoulders, gently squeezing and massaging. “I have no idea how this really works, either. I’ve never been in a...well, that’s not quite true,” he hedges. “Middle school, I had a boyfriend, sort of. But that’s middle school. Anyway,” he says dismissively. “You’re not going to be in my debt. I _swear_ I don’t care if, for example, I blow you and then you don’t wanna return the favor. You’re not taking advantage of me in any way. We’re having fun. Got it?” 

Hesitantly, Shu nods, some of the tension dissipating. Not all, but he’s rarely free of tension completely. “I think it’s unfair to hint that you’re anywhere near my level of inexperience, though. I believe we’ve conclusively put an end to that idea, after this.”

Rei blinks at him, his head tilting. “I dunno what you’re talking about. I think you’re a great lay.” 

“You do? I mean, of course I am! I always knew I would be.” Take that, hateful graffiti in the middle school bathrooms!

There’s a pause, and realization slowly dawns on Rei. “Wait. _Wait._ Holy shit. Did I just...were you a _virgin?_ ” 

Shu’s head turns, and he fully stares at Rei, hand coming up to trace over the bites on his neck. “Was it really not obvious? That’s good, right? It isn’t as if I go around letting people do that to me.”

“Y-yeah, uh, holy shit? I had no idea, like not even in the slightest? Hah. Fuck.” Rei scoots back, slides off the couch, and slowly slinks down to the floor in seiza, and then down into particularly elegant dogeza from there. “If I had known, I would have been so, _so_ much more careful, I am _so_ fucking sorry--”

Shu’s head cocks, quizzical in his confusion. “Eh? Why are you down there? My god, is this some kind of odd vampire ritual where you have to ask for my official blessing before taking my virginity or something? Honestly, if I didn’t want it, I wouldn’t have spread my legs for you.”

“I wouldn’t have fucked you against a wall for your first time!” Rei protests, lifting his head, but only marginally. “I know you _wanted it_ , but I still could’ve been a lot nicer about it and taken care of you a lot more. You’re way too good at it for it to be your first time, god--”

“Am I? I don’t really know what there is to be good at on this end,” Shu says frankly. “All I did was let you put your cock in me and try not to kick too much.” He stands, stretching out his limbs, face going pale at a few new sensations. “Ah. I don’t see what difference it really makes, in the end. You didn’t drop me.”

“No, I didn’t, and I’m going to pamper you now,” Rei firmly says, hauling himself to his feet and snatching up his pants (pajamas) to haul them back on before reaching for Shu’s hand. “I’m going to draw you a hot bath. Let me carry you.” 

“I can walk myself, _honestly!_ ” Shu squeezes Rei’s hand, but lets go, stalking towards the bathroom. “It’s about nine steps, Rei. Don’t treat me like a child or an invalid.”

“You should let me spoil you!” Rei whines, trotting after him. “Shuuuu, Ritsu doesn’t let me spoil him anymore, I’ve been in withdrawal. If this is going to be a regular thing, you _have_ to let me!”

Shu stops in the doorway of the bathroom, toeing on his bathroom slippers before entering. “Surely that must mean I get to spoil you as well.”

“Don’t you already?” Rei presses, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. “You’re the one making me clothes behind my back.” 

“That’s different. That’s spoiling myself. I get to look at you wearing them, after all.” Shu starts the bath, cranking the water up as hot as it’ll go, hoping that’ll force some heat through the creaky old pipes.

“...Uh huh. But you’re still making things for me.” Rei’s head tilts. “I mean, by all means, spoil me in other ways, but I _really_ have to spoil you.” 

Shu strips off the remains of his shirt, folding it neatly. “Think of some way to spoil me besides carrying me around like a limp sack of rice. Kiryuu already does that plenty, and I assure you, I don’t find it charming.”

“Cool, got it. I’ll just give you blowjobs during school hours.”

“...Do you not enjoy that?”

“No, I love it. But the way you acted makes it pretty clear you love it even _more,_ and practice rooms are soundproof.” 

Shu snorts. “Honestly, you’re incorrigible. Your mother should be ashamed for bringing you into this world, if that is indeed how vampires are created.” 

He dips a finger in the water and finds it satisfactory, taking off his slippers and easing himself down into the water with a long sigh. “Join me, that’s all the spoiling I need right now.”

“My mom is ashamed of me on a daily basis~” Rei cheerfully agrees, obediently stripping out of his clothes. “‘Why can’t you go to a _real_ music school?’ ‘Why not cello, you’re so tall?’ ‘Stop failing P.E., it’s a total joke.’” He pokes the water, just to make sure, and then taps Shu’s shoulder. “Scoot forward, it’s spooning time.” 

Shu scoots forward. “Let it be known that I’m only letting you spoon me because I assume you know how to clean up what you messed up down there. Also, why are you failing P.E.? Why not just ask to be excused from contact sports and supplement your grade with additional dance training?”

“...Because I’d rather take a nap?” Rei sheepishly admits, sliding down into the tub and then tugging Shu back between his legs with a content sigh. “I already tested out of all the dance classes at Yumenosaki in my first year. There’s nothing else to fill that credit with. Sooo, I just take a nap in the shade.”

“How embarrassing. No wonder you’re in 2B when you’re by far smart enough to be in 2A.” Shu relaxes back against Rei’s chest, and lets his hand idly rest on one toned thigh, kneading into the flesh. “Your brother is awful in class.”

Rei snuggles up behind him, winding his arms around Shu’s waist. “Mmnn, but anything outside of the idol course is boring and annoying. I’m failing almost everything just because I refuse to do homework...aaand I have terrible daylight vision, fuck teachers that use boards.” He turns his head, burying his face into Shu’s neck. “Ritsu’s probably just like me in class--asleep.” 

Shu gives his head a pat, a little indulgently. “When he’s awake, he’s teasing me about you. That’s what’s awful about him.”

“He told _me_ stories about how you apparently sing my praises at every opportunity.”

“Rubbish. Only when the subject comes up. Or the subject of musical geniuses, or very beautiful people, which is the same thing.”

“Uh huh.” Rei stifles a yawn against the side of his neck. “You’re this cute, and you wondered why I’d be interested in putting my hands all over you?” 

“Well, I’ve always been this way, and no one has ever wanted to do that before you, so...”

“Maybe they were intimidated by you. I just think it’s hot when you strut around like you own the place.” 

“But I do own the place. I’m in charge. My ideas are the ones that matter.”

“Hi, remember me? This is the voice of your partner in crime, the immense musical talent you _need_ in Valkyrie or you’ll crash and burn, the one who can learn your dances in about five minutes, the one who has to _edit_ your manuscripts because you keep forgetting to write in your key changes, which is _less_ cute--”

Shu flops back, effectively crushing Rei in the middle of his monologue. “I suppose you’re a valuable tool,” he says with a sigh. “And you _did_ recently educate me in certain matters. Perhaps I’ll allow you to remain by my side.”

Rei settles back with a grunt. “I also look good in all of your designs. I’m _pretty_ great.” 

“...Fair enough.” Shu turns his head, butting up against Rei’s for a soft kiss. “Maybe there are more than two reasons for me to put up with you.”


	3. Chapter 3

Rei wakes up to a throbbing, pounding headache, and he nearly doesn’t bother with the concept of today. 

That’s been his mindset for the past week, however, so he doesn’t have a choice. Slowly, painstakingly, he drags himself out of his coffin, shivering and huddling underneath both a sweater and flannel and an enormous, fluffy blanket as he drags himself to the kitchen.

It’s late in the afternoon, but the house is completely dark, courtesy of black-out curtains on every single window. Only the dim lights of the microwave and oven flash in the kitchen, but it doesn’t make a difference to Rei and his night vision. Darkness is a relief—a desperately painful relief, because the idea of sunlight makes him want to curl up in a pathetic little ball. 

It’s Tenshouin’s fault. It’s completely Tenshouin’s fault, forcing Valkyrie out into Lives during the day when before, his own solo concerts had been only at night. He hadn’t felt it at first, but over the past couple of months, being out in the day, using that much energy, performing nonstop, practicing at night…

With a shaky, pale hand, Rei reaches into the fridge, grabs a veritable jug of blood, sticks a straw into it, and collapses down at the kitchen table, huddled up around it.

“Onii-chan is having a moment, huh?”

Ritsu drags himself into the kitchen out of the front room, socks on, wearing yesterday’s clothes, rumpled and wrinkled. His hair is mussed in his face, and he slinks forward, plopping down at the table with a huge yawn. “You missed my Live last night. I thought you were gonna come.”

“Sorry,” Rei murmurs, slumping over the table to get to his straw, and takes a long sip. He grimaces, pulling back to wipe his mouth, and pushes the jug towards Ritsu unhappily. Chilled old blood is just _not_  the same. “I lost track of time. It’s been…since last week that I went to school? I think?” He rubs a hand across the back of his eyes, heaving a sigh. “I hope it went well.” 

“I dunno. It was okay. We did some songs and stuff.” Ritsu looks down at the jar, then slides it back. “Maa~kun let me have a drink last night, so I’m good.”

“Ah. Lucky.” Rei stares at the blood for a long moment, then sighs, resigned, and takes another, careful sip.

It’s the wrong choice.

The violence with which his attempted dinner comes up surprises even him, and Rei bolts for the kitchen sink, trailing blankets as he chokes and gags. “Fuck this,” he wheezes, slumping forward and turning the water on to wash the mess down the drain. “Fuck Tenshouin, fuck everything.” 

Ritsu frowns, standing and moving to rub his brother’s back. “What’s--what’s wrong? Onii-chan, are you sick? Are you--what can I do?” His voice spikes high and concerned, and his back-patting gets more and more frantic.

Rei holds up a hand, fighting down a last wave of heaves that threaten to send his dinner from _last week_  up, too, at this rate. “It’s fine,” he manages after a moment, slithering down and clutching at the edge of the sink. “I…I’ve just been using a lot of energy, going out in the sun. Tenshouin’s fucking fault, but what the hell else am I supposed to do?” 

“Ecchan is doing it?” Ritsu’s voice is worried, anxious, and he pats at his brother’s head, not sure what else to do with his hands. “You’re looking so weak...want me to put some tomatoes in the oven? You wanna drink from me? It’s not human, but it’s hot and I just had Maa~kun...”

“No, no, god, I can’t, I won’t want to stop.” Rei lets his head thunk against the cabinets as he folds up on the floor, shivering and grabbing for his blanket to huddle back up into it. “Tenshouin keeps booking all the night venues,” he mutters. “So we’ve been performing during the day. I thought I’d be fine, but…”

Ritsu kneels in front of him, rolling up his sleeve and thrusting his wrist into Rei’s face. “Drink,” he orders. “Do it. Or I’ll just slit my wrist and spill it onto the ground and it’ll go to waste.”

Rei stares at him, glassy-eyed and uncomprehending for a moment before he lunges, grabbing Ritsu’s arm and biting hard.

It’s with none of the grace or gentleness that he usually tries to have when drinking, but he can’t _help_  it. Ritsu’s blood is warm and sweet and Rei struggles to just keep it to a few, long, deep swallows, fails after the fourth, the fifth, and finally wrenches back with a desperate, panting groan. “S-sorry…sorry, I’m sorry,” he rasps, licking at the blood that trickles from the corner of his mouth. “I’m gonna want to keep going if you don’t give me a second.”

Ritsu pulls his arm back, rubbing over the puncture marks. “It’s fine, Onii-chan. You always think I can’t handle as much as I can.” He’s a little chilly now, and his cock is hard, but that’s nothing he isn’t used to, and he stands smoothly, pulling his sleeve down. “Why is Ecchan going after you?”

“Because he’s a talentless hack that knows he can’t win Lives against us if he doesn’t,” Rei dully says, flopping back against the cabinets again and pulling his blanket mostly over his face. His head still pounds, but he isn’t shaking as much now, at least. “If I fuck up and drop out or don’t show, Shu’s fair game…and Tenshouin knows it.” Rei shivers again, drawing his knees up to his chest. “If it’s been a week…fuck. Shu’s going to be so pissed at me.” Even if he says that, he can’t bring himself to summon enough energy to get _up_  and get his phone—which just sounds stressful, assuming there is text after text from his angry unit partner. 

“I thought he knew you were a vampire. So he should know that you can’t do that stuff during the day, right? Maa~kun doesn’t bother me too much about it anymore...I think that’s one of the benefits to dating...”

“He knows I’m a vampire, but…” Rei sighs, shrugging. “I’ve still been doing the lives during the day, and it’s not like I complained before,” he admits. “I made it work for awhile, it just started making me more and more tired, until I barely managed to get home last week…and I’ve been passed out since.” He wipes a hand down his face. “This isn’t an issue about _dating_.”

“But you’re dating Shucchan.” Something occurs to Ritsu, and his brow furrows in sudden suspicion. “You...you _are_ dating him, right? I guess you’ve never called him your boyfriend.”

“I really don’t see why that makes a difference,” Rei grumbles, huddling up further underneath his blanket. 

“But...” Ritsu scratches his head. “That means you don’t have a boyfriend. That means you suck. I mean, it’s just a side point, but you definitely suck if you can’t even get Shucchan to go out with you.”

“Why are you being so mean to me?” Rei whines. “Just because I haven’t officially asked him out doesn’t mean we aren’t a _thing_ , and—and besides, what’s that matter, huh? Ritsuuu, be nice to me, I don’t feel good and everyone sucks.” 

Ritsu sits at the table, dipping a finger in Rei’s glass of blood and licking it off. “Yuck. Type O negative, not the good stuff at all. Onii-chan, if you don’t have someone to back you up, you’re gonna fall down. Valkyrie’s only got two people.”

“That’s the only stuff that was in the fridge, Mom sucks,” Rei moodily replies, plopping his chin down onto his knees. “Shu deserves someone that isn’t just a mess of bullshit,” he says, hearing himself be unnecessarily negative, not caring, not willing to edit. “I’m a good lay, not a good boyfriend.”

“Shucchan brings a pitch pipe to class every day and lays it on his desk because Ecchan told him he was flat in class one time three months ago. He’s kind of a mess, Onii-chan.”

“That’s not a mess, that’s adorable, and pretty fair. I’d flip out if Tenshouin told me I was flat.” 

Ritsu frowns, then delves into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. “He gave me written permission to praise him whenever I want, and told Secchan that he should always hold still because then he looks like a pretty doll.”

“…Yeah, that’s weirder. I’m not saying he doesn’t have his weird parts, I’m just saying I suck, and he’s cute, and he deserves someone way less sucky and way more cute.”

Ritsu narrows his eyes. Maybe most people would see Rei being sweet, complimenting the person he likes, and maybe being adorably shy.

Ritsu sees his most important person in life throwing away his one chance at happiness.

He yawns, winding a strand of hair around his finger. “Maybe you’re right. Heh, he is pretty cute, right? I mean, just that bone structure...and his hands are really nice when he touches my legs. I bet they’d feel good just about anywhere.”

Rei frowns at him, and slinks down a few more centimeters. “Don’t be gross about it,” he mutters. “He isn’t touching you like he wants to fuck you, I know.” 

Ritsu shrugs. “Not yet. But I bet if I wore shorts tomorrow, he would. He’s got a thing for cute boys in shorts, right? And I’ve got this written permission to praise him whenever I want, I’ll just tell him he has a nice ass.”

“Can you not?” Rei pulls his blanket directly over his head. “Ritsu, I know what you’re trying to do, please stop.” 

“But you make him sound really cool...and it sounds like he’ll let me top every time, and that sounds good. And you can’t stop me, because he’s not your boyfriend. Right?”

“I’m going to ask him out at some point!” Rei snaps, though a lot of the force behind it is lost when he’s muffled underneath a blanket, and bone-tired, besides. “Just—just not in the middle of this.” A wet, muffled sniff follows. “Not if he hates me after I fucked off for a week.”

“Sweet. If he hates you, he’ll be _really_ easy to ask out. I’m gonna wear the red shorts, that should get his attention. Onii-chan, I have nice legs, right?”

“Just do it,” comes the defeated response in return as Rei slumps to the side, starting to go horizontal on the floor. “You have the best legs and deserve the best. I’ll just starve and die right here.” 

Ritsu looks down at him without pity, nudging him with one foot. “Yeah. You’re right. Sounds good. Actually, I’m not gonna wait for tomorrow.” He pulls out his phone, then dials Shu’s number.

Rei huffs, rolling partially away from Ritsu’s foot. “Good,” he glumly says. “Just get it over with. Get a harem, just like Mom wants—then you can keep being the favorite, living by her shitty example.” 

“Wow, you’re pathetic,” Ritsu says without sympathy. “It’ll serve you right when I steal Shucchan and leave you to die on the floor.”

“Hello? Who is this and how did you get this number?”

“Shucchan, be nice to me. It’s Ritsu. You like me enough to be nice to me, riiiiight?”

“Don’t be mean to him,” Rei pleads, even though he doesn’t lift his head from his blanket prison. “He’s a delicate soul.” 

Ritsu shifts enough that he can rest one foot on Rei’s chest, pressing down. “Shucchan, we should go out this weekend. Take me out and treat me to stuff...at night.”

“Take you out? For what reason?”

“Like a da~ate. You’re attractive. I’ll wear shorts.” 

“Y-you--”

“Ritsu, quit it,” Rei begs, shoving himself up onto his elbows—or at least, he tries to, but what would normally be so _easy_  just makes his arms wobble until they give out, and he flops back down with a huff. “Ritsu, seriously, leave him alone. I’m going to call him later, it’s fine.” 

Ritsu covers the phone and mouths, “Later isn’t good enough.” Then he walks in the other direction out of Rei’s reach, and adds, “Shucchan, you were real cute in class today. The clothes you make are always real sexy...makes me wanna take ‘em off you.”

“R-Ritsu! Does your brother know you’re calling?”

“My brother? Yeah, he doesn’t care. He told me to go ahead and ask you out if I want to.”

“I didn’t say that!” Rei quickly calls after him, hoping Shu will at least hear him over the line and realize that Ritsu is being ridiculous. He rolls, flopping onto his stomach, and wobbles his way up to his feet again after some considerable effort. “Ritsu, you’re really not playing fair,” he weakly protests, huddling up in his blanket as he trails after Ritsu’s heels, reaching for the phone. “Give me the phone.” 

“No. Well, Shucchan? Wanna?”

Ritsu listens to the response, then turns it onto speaker phone. “Sorry, you were breaking up. Say it again?”

“I said,” the voice comes irritably over the line, “that I’m not going to go out on a date with you, because I’m dating your brother.”

“Wh—“ Rei stands still, wobbling for a moment, and then yanks his blanket back over his face, dropping right back down to the floor. “See? _See?_  I’m the worst boyfriend, I didn’t even _know_ , I’m the worst, just fucking put me out of my misery and kill me right here—“

“What?” The voice comes over the line in confusion. “What do you mean you didn’t know? What does--what does that mean?”

Ritsu stares at the phone, unsure what to do, then just hangs up. “You’re definitely the worst, Onii-chan, if Shucchan is braver than you. He hides under the desk when we watch PG-13 movies in class.”

“I’m definitely the worst,” Rei dejectedly agrees. He sits there for a moment, biting his lip, unsure of what to do, and finally sticks his hand out from underneath his blanket prison. “Let me borrow your phone, mine’s dead.” 

Ritsu hands it over immediately. “If you break up with him, I’ll break your toes,” he threatens lazily.

“No, I need those.” Rei pulls the phone underneath the blanket with him.

 

**To: Shucchan**

**Subject: It’s Rei**

**Please don’t freak out my brother is being pushy and bad and I’ve been sick all week. I’m really sorry.**

**If he were any better at this, he’d apologize—I didn’t know, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to—but typing that out, opening that can of worms…**

 

**To: Sakuma Ritsu**

**Subject: Ah**

**Are you coming to practice? Not that I need you here. I don’t need you for anything except the music. And some of the dancing. And singing. And sex appeal.**

 

**To: Sakuma Ritsu**

**Subject:**

**and I miss you.**

 

“Why aren’t you just calling him? Isn’t it faster?”

“Because I’m not, that’s why! Leave me alone!” 

 

**To: Shucchan**

**Subject:**

**i**

**To: Shucchan**

**Subject: sorry**

**My nails are too fucking long and it amkes texting hard. Im still sick. I’m really really sorry.**

 

**To: Sakuma Ritsu**

**Subject: >(**

**Get it together. Come to practice. Come and sleep there if you have to but it’s important that I see you.**

 

**To: Shucchan**

**Subject:**

**i literally can’t leave the house don’t tel lme what to do**

 

“I can’t do this,” Rei mutters, shoving the phone back out from underneath his blanket hive and slowly crawls his way over to the kitchen table to use it to get back up to his feet. “I’m going back to bed.”

Ritsu grabs the phone, looks at the previous messages, and almost throws it at his brother’s head. “You suck and I don’t know you. I literally don’t know you, I’m going to tell everyone that you’re a stranger to me. Why can’t you even keep a guy who wants you? If you fuck it up, you can’t have Maa~kun. He’s mine.”

“I don’t want Isara, don’t be a fucking idiot,” Rei snaps, yanking his blanket tighter around himself as he summons the last bit of his strength to stalk back towards his bedroom. “He’s got enough to fucking deal with without me. I’m going back to bed and maybe by the time I starve, he’ll have beat Tenshouin Eichi on his fucking own, because he’s good enough and I’m like this!” 

The door to his bedroom slams shut behind him, and Rei throws himself down into his coffin with a wet, resounding sniff.

A few hours later, there’s a knock on his door, one far too brisk and businesslike to be Ritsu. Then, through the door comes a muffled, “Hold on, he locked it, I have picks.”

A minute later, the door opens, and Itsuki Shu walks in, blinking in the darkness. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to see anything like this. If I crash into anything, it’s your fault if it breaks.”

Rei, sleeping a fitful, unhappy sleep with his coffin’s lid still mostly open, thrashes to the side at the first, deep inhale of air that has a human’s scent within it.

Not just a human’s— _Itsuki Shu’s_ , and fuck, fuck, he has fucked up so much.

“Don’t—don’t turn on a light, hold on,” Rei croaks, forcing himself to slowly sit up, somehow more bedraggled and grey than when he emerged earlier, and he fumbles outside of his coffin to slap one of the dim blacklights stuck there. It’s not much, but it’s something, and he stares up at Shu with bleary eyes. “You smell good.” Yeah, that’s totally the cool thing to say to your boyfriend-apparent after disappearing off the face of the earth for a week, and being this fucking _lame._

“You’re probably smelling this.” Shu holds up a big container of several foil packages. “Grilled spring onions, umeboshi, gingko nuts, honeyed daikon, lotus broth, hot onion water, and sesame ginger oil. You’re going to go through them until you find one that makes you feel powerful.”

“Not that kind of sick.” Rei slumps over the side of his coffin. “Vampire sick. Definitely smelling you.” 

“Did your mother ever try any of these?” Shu demands. “My stupid great-aunt Oriha swears by these for all ailments. Certainly at least one will work, even on a vampire.”

“Shu. Can you please just come over here.”

Shu hesitates for a moment, then approaches, setting down the container before he reaches the coffin. “This...is a bit overdone, isn’t it? The actual coffin?”

Rei shakes his head, hair lankly falling around his face as he reaches up, grabbing Shu’s wrist. His breath hitches as he feels the thud of Shu’s pulse underneath his fingertips, and his grasp tightens, fingers trembling. “Can I? Shu, I’m so hungry.” 

Shu glances back to the door, then shakes his head, pulling his hand back. “The school outfits, they’d show that too easily. Here.” He rolls up his pants, tugging them up all the way to the top until his thigh is exposed and bare, then hiking it up to rest on the edge of the coffin. “Do what you must.”

It occurs to Rei that he should be offering at least a few more explanations, something along the lines of _why I haven’t shown up for a week_ or _why the fuck I’m literally dying in front of you_. That’s going to have to wait until he has a proper taste, however, because Shu is offering, and Rei can’t think straight.

_Hungry_  isn’t the right word. Ravenous, more like, which is why even after having a taste of Ritsu’s blood to tide him over, it’s still not enough. Rei lunges with none of the kissing and teasing that normally follow his requests to feed, and his fangs sink in deep, immediately piercing. 

That particular artery always pumps out blood so fast and so fresh, and Rei gulps it down like he really is starving. He knows he goes too far, too long, but at least he stops himself before it’s too _much_ , and he drags his mouth back, panting and with at least a fraction of his hunger sated. “Sorry…sorry, lie down, I know…I know I took a lot, I…” His hands fumble and shake when he tries to pull Shu into the coffin with him, but hey, at least he’s _trying_.

This is nothing like the lightheadedness that Shu usually feels whenever he forgets to eat. This is a whole other level, and he sags to the side, flopping onto Rei as he fades. 

A few moments later, he blinks in the low light, fingers clutching at Rei’s clothes. “Is it...enough?” He whispers, vision foggy. “Are you all right, or more all right?”

“Getting there.” It’s all Rei manages to say for a long moment, his face pressed into the crook of Shu’s neck. Curling up around him with all four limbs feels like an indulgence, because Shu is warm and his heart beat is still steady, even after he drank that much. “Sorry,” he murmurs, though for what specific thing he is apologizing for is anyone’s guess. _He_ doesn’t even know. “Meant to call you.” 

“As what?” 

Shu’s voice is quiet, muffled against Rei’s chest. “As your unit leader, that you abandoned? Or--Ritsu didn’t seem to think we were a couple, I don’t know what you say about me at home--if this is all in my head--”

“Shhh. Shh. Shu, don’t do that right now.” Rei’s head starts to pound again, and he considers just biting and taking another drink, but that’s getting close to an unspoken limit, he knows. “I didn’t mean to abandon you, first of all. I’ve been passed out for a solid week, trying to die.” 

“Ritsu wouldn’t tell me.” Shu starts to slowly relax, eased by the venom coursing through his system, though the vague sense of unease, of unhappiness, of thinking that something once solid is now on shaky ground, doesn’t dissipate. “We have a Live in two days, if you’re sick you have to _tell_ me so we can reschedule.” Easier to think about Valkyrie than to think about _them_ , whatever they apparently are.

“I literally don’t remember the past week. Don’t you think I would’ve called you if I had?” Rei bites his lower lip, his fingers curling against Shu’s back. “If it’s during the day, I...I can’t do it.” 

“Fine.” Shu sits up a little, brushing Rei’s hair back from his face. He’s paler than usual, looks like a ragged shadow of himself, and Shu tries not to look too concerned. “Then we’ll do one at night again, like we used to.”

“Tenshouin won’t let it happen.” Rei hates how defeated he sounds, but when it feels like _he’s_ the disappointing their unit by being like this, it’s impossible not to. “He keeps booking all the live halls even if he isn’t using them. I thought...I thought I was strong enough to keep doing it during the day, and it wouldn’t matter.” He swallows, and turns to plop his face down into a stack of pillows. “Sorry. I know I let you down.”

“The only thing that’s letting me down is this horrific defeatist attitude.” Shu grabs Rei by the shoulders, wrenching him upright, face firm and uncompromising. “It’s...it’s no shame to be let down by your own body. But for god’s sake, try to be clever to make up for it. Let’s plan a Live at an unconventional venue, then you can get Hasumi to push your paperwork through. That should work, shouldn’t it? If we can’t take advantage of Tenshouin being ill all the time, what’s the use in him being delicate, anyway?”

Rei blinks back at him, which quickly turns more rapid in an attempt not to start crying on the spot. It doesn’t entirely work, and he sniffs, shoving his sleeve up to his face to stop the waterworks at least somewhat. “E-even Keito wants to fuck him, s-so he probably won’t help us. It’s...it’s a good idea in theory, but...” 

“But you haven’t _tried_ it,” Shu insists. “By all means, if we fail, tell me I’m a fool and an idealist, but don’t tell me that before we’ve lost this battle. We’re destined for greatness, you and I. Rei--we’re the ones he should _fear_. I’ll book us a TV spot if I have to, and those vulgar masses I hate will be _clamoring_ to see us live!”

Well, it was nice having a cool image and not being a fucking loser crybaby in front of Itsuki Shu while it lasted.

The first sob chokes in his throat, and the dam breaks. “S-sorry, sorry, I’ll get it together in a minute,” Rei manages, grabbing for the box of tissues he deliberately keeps in his coffin for this express purpose and basically shoves a handful of them into his face. “Y-you’re way too good, you know?” _No one’s ever said something like that to me before_ sounds way too pathetic to actually vocalize, but it’s true, and even just thinking it makes Rei burst into another wave of tears. “ _Fuck_ , why do I _suck_ so much,” he exasperatedly groans through a hiccuping sob. “T-that’s why--that’s why I didn’t want to s-say we were actually dating, you need someone a million times cooler--” 

“Rei...”

Shu’s natural arrogance wars with his deep-seated insecurity, and he manages a shaky, uncertain smile. “If it helps, I keep expecting you to leave Valkyrie and go solo,” he admits finally, looking down at his folded legs. “You’re so musically talented, and you have so much appeal you could use in any direction you choose. I’m...so narrow, in my focus, I _know_ that, it’s why I never hoped I could ever have a...partner.”

Rei chokes on a wet, ragged laugh. “I’ve _been_ solo, and that’s why Tenshouin’s being like this now,” he sniffs, blowing his nose loudly. “He fucking hates me, and now he hates you, because you’re talented. God, I hate this.” 

“Rei, I adore you. I think you’re the most talented, the most beautiful, the smartest man I’ve ever met.” 

Shu leans in, taking Rei’s face in both his hands, looking at him seriously. “But if you don’t toughen up a bit, I’m going to remove your spine and replace it with something sturdier. Yumenosaki is an elite academy for idols, isn’t it? You think we won’t have challenges worse than Tenshouin when we enter the world of actual competitive paid work?”

Rei sniffs again, staring at Shu with tears and five-day old eyeliner dripping down his face. “I can do competition,” he says after a moment. “I can be tough. But I hate him, and he’s...he’s not playing fair, Shu, and I know no one ever seems to in entertainment, but he’s worse, somehow.” He draws back, shoving tissues against his nose again. “I’m probably just fucking exhausted still. I’ll...I’ll get over it, so I can rub his face in the dirt.”

“We’ll defeat him together.” Shu dumps a few tissues on Rei’s head, then adds, “The Kings of Heaven and Hell. God, I wish I’d known our makeup before I’d named the team, I could have been even more referential. It probably would still have been a Wagner reference, of course.”

“You and your Wagner,” Rei mumbles, plucking the tissues out of his hair and using them immediately. “Ugh. I’m still really sorry. I got home after our last live, and passed out, and it’s been like this ever since...this is why I keep failing P.E., I warned you.”

“If you can’t learn to use a real phone, use a cup with a string tied to it,” Shu mutters, reaching down to rub over the stinging puncture marks on his thigh. “Now, enough wallowing. Get up and take me out to get something to eat so I can be strong enough for you to feed on again until you build up your strength. I won’t have you rivaling me for passing out in strange locations.”

“There’s a bakery in the station that’s really good.” Slowly, painstakingly, Rei heaves himself out of his coffin, wobbling for a second as he scrubs his face dry with a last sniffle. “Sorry about Ritsu, by the way,” he adds darkly. “He was trying to help, but he gets really carried away...” 

“Ah, is that what he was trying to do?” Shu rubs the bridge of his nose, ears coloring a tinge. “It certainly made me re-examine many of my past conversations with him in a new light, that’s for certain.”

“He’s the worst brat in the world, and also, the cutest.” Tentatively, Rei tugs on the cord to a lamp, casting vague, yellow light over the room at last. It doesn’t sting as much as he thought it would, which makes him relax with a long sigh. “This is my room, by the way,” he says, peering in a wall mirror and gingerly wiping off the last trails of old eyeliner from his face. “That’s Adelaide, my piano. I do also have a number of original Wagner orchestrations, if you ever want to touch the same manuscript he might have possibly touched.”

Shu’s eyes light up, and he makes his way briskly to the piano, fingers wriggling in anticipation. “Ah...one shouldn’t touch such things, not even me, but just knowing that I’m in the same room with them...” He sighs, smoothing his clothing down, trying to force his excitement down with his hands alone. “Knowing that is enough for me. Ah, you’ve given me a great gift.”

He pauses for a moment, then says carefully, “I should introduce you to some of my favorite dolls, if you like. Later.” The sentence costs him something, a willingness to open himself up to the kind of bullying that had led to his current personality, but Rei...it’s possible that he deserves this.

“Um, yeah, you really should. I’m insulted you haven’t already, to be honest. Your dolls are cute.” Rei tries to finger-comb his hair, gives up, and settles for tying it back with a sigh. “I’ve got a lot of old stuff like that, it’s my mom’s way of attempting to show interest in my ‘hobbies.’” 

Shu tries to find the insult in that remark, and fails. Unbidden, hot tears prickle at his eyes, and he blinks rapidly, striding over to grab Rei’s hand and squeeze it, tugging him towards the door. “W-we’re going to the station,” he says firmly, “and I’m going to eat a croissant, and you’re going to stop being stupid and feed on me until you’re not hungry! And then I’m going to introduce you to my dolls, and then we’re going to crush Tenshouin Eichi into the dust!”

Rei blinks, letting himself be dragged along to the point he barely remembers his shoes. “Ah--y-yeah, got it, I got it,” he quickly agrees, his lips twitching into a faint smile. “You’ve gotta eat more than just one croissant if you’re gonna satisfy me, though.” 

“Are you saying I don’t satisfy you regularly?”

“I’m saying I’m gonna eat you alive, so you better be in the best condition of your life.” 

“I--oh.” Shu clears his throat, then yanks on Rei’s hand, walking briskly through the odd, overblown, black-draped house. “Then prepare to be properly satisfied by your meal, I suppose!”


	4. Chapter 4

Ultimately, Rei has a lot less patience--and a lot more suspicion--when it comes to Shu even missing a day of class. 

  


Essentially ruling Yumenosaki for an entire year is fun and all, but it hasn’t made them the favorites of Tenshouin Eichi by far. That’s why, when Eichi is smiling and content and Shu doesn’t come to practice or class _or_ answer texts for a day, Rei shows up at his doorstep after school. 

  


_It’s probably nothing, it’s probably fine, humans get sick, humans take days off, this isn’t like what I did._

  


At least, it’s not going to get to that point, because this is Day One, ground zero, and Rei is already in Shu’s house, toeing off his shoes and unfolding his parasol. “Shu?” he calls, leaving his violin at the door. “Shuuu, you’re not allowed to skip out, that kinda comes with the territory of me letting you be called the ‘leader’, you know? Also, I’m hungry.” Between those two excuses, that should hopefully make him come out of hiding if Eichi didn’t _murder_ him. 

  


Very slowly, the door to the sewing room opens. “Up here,” Shu says quietly, in a voice not entirely like his own.

  


Then he retreats, as he’s done for the past two days, surrounded by fabric and porcelain, repainting the faces of all the older dolls, dipping tiny brushes in pots of paint he’d mixed himself. The fabric is in nothing like disarray, carefully sorted into piles according to age and origin, all of his favorite dolls lined up from oldest to youngest, all of their eyes turned to the door. Three of them are in Valkyrie outfits, two others in exercise clothes. The rest are in some combination of summer wear and ballgowns, painstakingly recreated on a miniature scale. At the moment, he’s holding one of his favorites in his arms, a lovely little blonde girl he hasn’t named yet, running a tiny horsehair brush carefully through one ringlet at a time.

  


_Well, at least he’s not dead._  

  


Rei quickly makes his way to the room, poking his head inside, and his eyebrows climb. “Taking a day off to sort out your children?” he asks, plopping down onto a chair that isn’t covered in a fabric pile. “I get that, but warn me next time. Tenshouin was smiling too much today, and I don’t like that.” 

  


“Tenshouin-kun is not a nice boy.” The voice quavers, on the verge of sing-song, until Shu shivers and clears his throat. When he speaks again, it’s deeper, more normal. “Our Live on Saturday is canceled.”

  


“Mm. Really. Did he cancel it, or did you?” Rei slides to the floor, pushing aside a stack of fabric to sit cross-legged next to Shu instead. “If he tried to move it to a different time, I can make a daytime Live work.” 

  


“He...” Shu smoothes the doll’s hair down, in time with the tinkling notes of a music box spiraling in his mind. “You should form another unit, Rei. I can’t, I can’t come with you.”

  


“Oi. What’s going on?” Rei scoots closer, tilting his head to catch Shu’s gaze. “You know if he fucked with you, I’ll make his life hell,” he lowly promises. “He’s not allowed to bother you, that’s why I joined up with you in the first place.” 

  


“He didn’t... _do_ anything to me.” Shu avoids Rei’s gaze, a mix of burning humiliation, shame, and frustration heating his gaze. “He recruited Wataru, that traitor. Maybe you should just go with them. He’s stealing everyone I love.”

  


A sense of dread starts pooling in Rei’s stomach. _Wataru? Really? But he has no reason to join Tenshouin._ It’s pointless to ask questions about that, though, when that’s clearly not why Shu is so stressed. It sucks, but that’s _still_ not the reason, or he wouldn’t be so forthcoming with it. “I’d literally rather die than be in a unit with Tenshouin Eichi,” Rei bluntly says, and grabs Shu’s face in his hands, forcing him to look at him.  “What did he say to you?” 

  


Shu tries to look away, but Rei’s hands are _strong_ , cold and hard and implacable, until he whispers, “He instituted a new rule. Warned me about it. The, the stress of idol work is too much for some of us, he said. So they’re instituting mandatory mental health testing at the beginning of each semester. And I...” He can’t say it. His hands tremble on the doll brush, even as he tries hard not to wrinkle her skirts. “He looked at my last results. He knew them.”

  


Rei blinks. He’s not sure what he expected, but it certainly wasn’t _that_ \--though it makes sense, disgustingly enough, that Eichi would go for that low of a blow. “It’s not going to be an issue,” he firmly says, gently giving Shu’s face a squeeze. “And if you think it’s going to be, you’re going to go ahead and tell me why.” 

  


Shu tries to pull away. He tries to avoid it, tries to try and keep this one good thing in his life, even though he’s always known, logically, that it could never last. “It’s better for you just to go. I’m--I’m _fine_ , I can function just fine, but the kinds of testing they do--I don’t do well on them. Can’t we leave it at that?”

  


“Shu. We’re both nuts, what’s the point in not telling me about it so I can cover for you?”

  


Rei releases Shu’s face with a sigh, and rocks back onto his hands as he watches him. “Do they like to bring up the fact you live here all alone? That your parents suck and are neglectful? Does it bug you that they ask you about your dolls, or why you hate crowded places? Or is it the eating thing? I can teach you how to lie to them and get away with it, so long as you’re okay talking to someone else--me--about it.” 

  


Carefully, Shu sets his doll on the ground, making sure she’s sitting modestly. Then he raises a hand and slowly counts on his fingers. “The doctors say...my family doesn’t listen to them, but they have opinions. Obsessive. Hysterical anxiety. Sociopathic or narcissistic, they differ on that one, my father kept taking me to different doctors that would give me a clean diagnosis. Acrophobia with panic disorder. Adjustment disorder and transference--that’s a new one since last year, that’s...probably the one they’d use to keep me out of Lives.” 

  


His voice drops, and he curls up, knees to his chest. “I can’t even say they’d be wrong.”

  


Rei leans forward again, planting his hands gently atop Shu’s knees. “But you still perform at least once weekly, even with all that,” he quietly points out. “The kinds of people that these ‘mental checks’ are going to keep out are people that haven’t learned how to cope, and you’ve done that already. Hell, it’s more likely for Tenshouin to get me kicked out than it is you.” His fingers squeeze slowly. “What happened last year for you to be so scared of them flagging you as a risk?” 

  


No, he can’t be without his doll now, not when she’s so comfortingly familiar. Shu picks her up, smoothing her skirts again, running the brush through her curls gently. “It doesn’t matter. She’s--it doesn’t matter, it’s nothing that can be fixed.”

  


“Even if it’s something that can’t be fixed, _you_ can feel better about it if you complain about it. Here, come here.” Rei grabs Shu by the arm, pulling him forward and into his lap, careful not to jostle him in a way that’s going to disturb his doll as well. “I’m not gonna laugh at you. You know that, right? Besides, you’re way cooler about just about everything than I’ll ever be. You’ve seen me be a gross snotty mess and you still like me well enough.” 

  


Shu lets out a breath, not quite a laugh, warmer than a huff, and curls up, hands stroking over the doll’s hair. She has such charming eyes, blushing little cheeks, the most perfect bone structure he’s been able to paint onto a face, after months of redoing the contouring over and over again. “I...there was a woman I loved, once,” he says, focusing on the doll, almost able to see her blink and smile. “She’s no longer in this world.”

  


Considering Shu’s _basically_ the most homosexual guy Rei has met (other than himself), that has to mean some kind of a mom-type, or sister-type, if he’s really reaching. “And that happened last year? I’m sorry.” Rei plops his chin down atop Shu’s head gently. “Is your doll named after her?” 

  


“No. I couldn’t bring myself to...but I think, sometimes, when I look at her, that that woman is still here. And I, I hear her talk to me.” Shu’s lip quivers, and he cuddles back onto Rei harder. “She--was the most important person in the world to me, and...heh, you’re the first person to ask me about her, ever. It’s as if...she never existed.”

  


“None of your other friends knew she died?” Rei loops his arms around Shu firmly, giving him a squeeze. “And don’t say ‘I don’t have any other friends’, because that’s not true. What about Kuro?” 

  


“I can’t speak to him about her. Not ever.” Shu’s voice is flat and absolute, his shoulders gone rigid. “He doesn’t deserve to speak her name.”

  


“...And yet you’re still friends with him,” Rei coaxes, rubbing a hand against Shu’s back. “So what happened there?” 

  


Shu sucks in a deep breath. This isn’t anything he wants to talk about, not _ever_ , but...

  


But doesn’t ignoring her life make it worse that she died?

  


She deserves to be remembered. By him, more than anyone, because he is the one who’d loved her most of all. His hands move to brush the doll’s hair again, reverently. “Ryuu-kun’s mother,” he says at last, the words aching on the way up, as if he’s held them down for years. “She was his mother. And she taught me...everything. How to mend, how to measure, how to create. How to keep nice things nice, and make them better. Before, I...I always loved antiques and lovely things, but I never knew that...human hands, that my hands, could do anything except make beautiful things worse, dirty, torn.”

  


Ahhhh.

  


Suddenly, everything comes into clear focus, and Rei nods, stroking a hand slowly down Shu’s back. If he keeps petting him, maybe that’ll do the trick and keep him talking. “She sounds like a lovely woman,” he says quietly. “I was wondering how you learned to sew; she must’ve been a hell of a teacher. No wonder you can see her in that doll, she’s very beautiful.”

  


That brings tears to Shu’s eyes, and he turns his head, unable to look down at the lovely lady in his lap when he’s being so embarrassing. “Tenshouin...I don’t know how he found out about it, but after, after she passed...I was in a hospital, briefly. And if they ask about her--I can’t fake it, I can’t pretend, I just _can’t_ \--”

  


“You don’t _have_ to pretend.” Rei gives him another gentle squeeze, dragging him closer to his chest. “Shu, you know that it’s normal to be upset about someone special to you dying, right?” he presses. “It would be weird for you to clam up and not want to talk about her. Bursting into tears if they asked you about her, being upset about her passing--that’s normal and fine. No one’s going to tell you that you can’t perform because of that.” 

  


“But Tenshouin said--”

  


“He can suck a dick. He’s just trying to fuck with you, that’s what he does when he’s threatened. Because he is,” Rei firmly says. “He’s intimidated by you.” 

  


“Well, obviously. But that doesn’t mean...there are questions they ask, Rei. Have you ever been mentally evaluated? It’s not a delight.”

  


“Shu, I’ve been ignoring every music and dance teacher I’ve had since the age of five telling me I’m depressed and should be in some kind of therapy. And this is _Japan_ , they don’t say that kind of shit unless they’re convinced someone’s going to die.” 

  


Shu’s head thunks against Rei’s chest, desperately seeking the kind of comfort he’d thought no one could give him anymore. “Have you ever...heard voices?” he asks, voice small. “Talking to you? Telling you whether you’re doing the right thing, talking...for you, sometimes?”

  


Rei thinks, stroking a hand back up into Shu’s hair. “I don’t know if it’s quite the same thing,” he carefully begins, “but I’ve not _remembered_ saying a lot of things, sometimes for days on end, when it gets really bad. It feels like someone that isn’t me has the reins for awhile, which is...not fun.” 

  


Shu looks up. That’s more understanding than he’d expected, and far less condemnation. “I’ve had the same thing happen,” he whispers. “Sometimes I’ll wake up and have finished a new dress, and I’ll have a pounding headache. I always...sort of thought it was her ghost, making the things she can’t any longer. It feels wrong, to want her gone.”

  


“Ahhh...yeah...yeah, I’ve had that happen before, with music, all the time. It’s unnerving, right?” Rei’s smile is wry, and he musses Shu’s hair gently. “Instead of thinking you want her gone, maybe just accept it’s some of your genius overflowing when it doesn’t know what else to do with itself. Being this good means you have to be at least a _little_ crazy, that’s the rule. You’re just lucky you had her to temper you into something really special while she was alive.” 

  


The tears start at that in earnest, until Shu is huddled in Rei’s arms, silently weeping like he hasn’t allowed himself to do until now. “I loved her so much. I...never met another person who understood me like she did, she was just--perfect warmth, a port in a storm, and she made me everything I am today. How do you...repay someone like that, even after they’re gone?”

 

“You’re already repaying her.” 

 

Rei pulls out a packet of tissues, rumpled and stuffed messily into the pocket of his sweater, and unfolds them enough to offer them to Shu. “You’re the best designer and writer Yumenosaki has ever seen, and _will_ ever see,” he softly says. “And showed up on the first day of school, ready to fight the student council with your own vision whether they liked it or not. Shu, she’d be so proud of you. My guess is she was already pretty proud of you, but now, even more so.” 

 

Shu takes a tissue and simply covers his face with it rather than wiping or blowing, unable to meet Rei’s eyes. “She was always...eager for me to learn about sewing, but also other things. I can’t help but feel like I let her down--she’d kick me out of the house, telling me to run outside and play like a normal boy.” He laughs, mirthless. “As if I’ve ever been one of those.”

 

“Ahh, so that’s why you’re so in shape,” Rei gently teases, cuddling Shu back to his chest. “I bet _you_ don’t fail P.E. every single time. What’s letting her down about that, huh?”

 

Shu spreads his hands, helpless. “What about me is normal, Rei? She’d be disappointed. In her son first of all, but what’s more important is that she’d be disappointed in me.”

 

“Do you really think she wanted you to be normal?” Rei tugs the tissue off of Shu’s face, and plants a kiss directly onto his mouth. “No one that’s talented and great is _normal._ She wouldn’t be disappointed in Kuro, either. You’re both doing as good as you can, and it’s pretty impressive, if you ask me. So calm down, okay?” 

 

“You’re wrong about him. He’s...he’d deserve it.” For the first time, there’s a chilly hard edge to Shu’s voice when speaking about his childhood friend. “He was a delinquent in middle school, you know.”

 

“Uh huh. And so was I. Shit happens.” 

 

Shu turns, looking up at Rei with red-rimmed eyes. “You wouldn’t miss your own mother’s death because you were out running with a gang. She...I was all she had, and his little sister, but she--she kept asking for him. To the end.”

 

“You can’t blame him for that, Shu. Period, the end.” Rei heaves a sigh, and gives Shu a light shake. “Know why? Because I’m sure he’s already kicking himself for it every single day. You _know_ he didn’t deliberately skip out. And even if he did…well, maybe he just couldn’t cope right then. This is one you’re gonna have to let go.” 

 

That’s nothing Shu wants to hear, and he struggles to get out of Rei’s hold. “I won’t have it--you can’t talk about her that way, like she’s an _inconvenience_ , like she was just a person to be abandoned--she was _everything_ to me--”

 

“I’m not talking about her like she was an inconvenience, I’m saying people make mistakes, and I’m sure Kuro thinks of that every damned day of his life!” 

 

Shu’s struggling is annoying, but Rei locks his arms around him, used to a little brother that’s way stronger than a gangly, breakable human, besides. “Do you think she wants you to remember her on her dying day more than anything else?” he demands. “Stop thinking about the shitty way it ended, and think about all the things she taught you and how happy she made you instead. If you keep being pissed at Kuro and keep being sad, then yeah, you’re gonna fail any psych exam Tenshouin runs you through, and you’d _deserve_ to.”

 

_Because it’s so easy?_

 

Shu wants to demand the words, to throw it in Rei’s face, to ask him if it’s _easy_ to forget how she sounded choking on her own breath, how she looked pale and still lovely, twin spots of fever in her cheeks, how her eyes went white all the way around as she searched in vain for her son, babbling at thin air, pleading with him to promise, _promise_ to look after the family, to look after Shu--

 

Maybe that is easy, for a normal person. Maybe it’s only the fact that his mind is broken that makes it impossible for Shu. 

 

Unbidden, he giggles, high-pitched and coy, before shaking his head, grabbing the doll and winding a ringlet around his finger. “She’s perfect, isn’t she?” he asks dreamily, the thudding pressure of his pulse starting to fade, subsumed in the slowly cycling music box in his mind.

 

Rei’s eyes narrow, and he climbs abruptly to his feet, hauling Shu up with him. He doesn’t ask permission to remove the doll from his hand and set it onto one of the _various_ chairs made for the many pieces of Shu’s collection about the room, and before Shu can go berserk about it, Rei simply tosses him over his shoulder, marches out of the room, and kicks the door shut behind him. “Dolls don’t belong in a practice session. Are you going to eat before we brainstorm our new set together so I can, too, for the first time in a _week_ , or is it just going to be me doing everything on an empty stomach?” _I hope I’m not fucking up everything a million times worse, I really hope I’m not, but this is the only way I know how to help if you won’t listen to me._

 

“No--Rei, you _can’t_ , I need her, she’s--” Shu chokes back a shriek, clapping a hand over his own mouth, feeling himself start to shake, his vision going gray at the edges. “It’s--it’s happening again, I don’t--God, I don’t want to go back to the hospital--”

 

“I’m not taking you back to the hospital.” 

 

Rei dumps him unceremoniously onto the couch, and promptly stands in front of him, ready to stop him from bolting if Shu decides to… _whatever_. “Your doll is in your sewing room if you want to see her, no one is going to take her,” he firmly says. “When you calm down, you can go get her, if you want. But first you’re going to calm down, because you’re fine, and I’m here, and we need to get shit done or Valkyrie’s going to suck and I’m _not_ having that.” 

 

Shu’s limbs flail for a moment, then still at the sound of Rei’s firm, implacable voice. It isn’t full of pity, which is the only reason he isn’t turning and walking out of the room immediately. That was what those bastards at the hospital had done, stuffed him full of pills and pity until he’d sworn to do and fake whatever he needed to in order to never, never go back there and forget that it had ever happened. Slowly, he shudders, then breathes out. “I still think you should join another unit,” he says, voice flat and lifeless. “But...if you still want me here...”

 

“I’m not joining another unit, dumbass.” Rei drops down to crouch in front of him, planting his hands atop Shu’s knees. “I wouldn’t have joined this one at all if I didn’t want to work with you, and I didn’t hate Tenshouin Eichi. I’m not going to let him fuck up what we have, and I’m _not_ letting you go back to the hospital. I promise.”

 

Shu’s hands tremble, and he presses them together, trying to force them still. He looks down at them, trying to remember that they’re strong, they’re swift, they can do anything he asks of them, he can always rely on them. “If you could...forget I ever told you about that place,” he says softly, “I would be very grateful. As far as I’m concerned, that never happened. I don’t know--I don’t know how Tenshouin found out, I went to Yumenosaki because they don’t do those fucking screenings like every other school I...that didn’t want me.”

 

Rei exhales a long breath as he nods, giving Shu’s knees a squeeze. “Yeah. Yeah, consider it forgotten.” Something vague and put out crosses over his face, but it’s obviously not directed at Shu, and he reaches up to wrap his hands around Shu’s instead. “Tenshouin’s a bag of dicks,” he bluntly says. “I’m not surprised he pulled this kind of shit. Let’s just forget about it, though, and know that it’s not going to be an issue. I’m not gonna let it be. You don’t even have to think about it.” 

 

“Rei--if they screen me, if they look at my history and they deem me fucking _unfit_ to perform, you’ll be compromised too.”

 

“Do you think you’re the only one at this school with a fucking history? I said I’ll deal with it. Or do you not think I can handle Tenshouin and his bullshit policies?” 

 

Shu drags his hands down his face, trying to shake his head and banish the clamoring coming from inside it. It’s muffled now, quieter than before, but not gone. It rarely goes away when he isn’t sewing. “He bothers you, too. His--his thing about switching Lives to daytimes, you couldn’t handle that without me.”

 

“You’re right. He tried to fuck me over, too, but we fixed it between the two of us.” Rei grabs his hands again, squeezing them tightly. “So let me return the favor. This is the kind of thing _I’m_ good at handling. We can’t both be great at everything all the time, or we wouldn’t be partners.” 

 

For some reason, Rei’s cold, dry hands squeezing his make Shu’s trembling stop completely, something he’s never been able to manage by himself. He sucks in a breath, then nods once, confirmation. “Fine. I--am not good at accepting help,” he warns, “but I will try. For Valkyrie. For...you, partner.”

 

Rei exhales a laugh, giving Shu’s hands another firm squeeze. “I’m not good at accepting help either,” he quietly reminds Shu. “I get it. I really do. But I’ve got you in this, I _promise_.” He pats the back of Shu’s hands, releasing them as he straightens to his feet. “Now eat a fucking croissant and relax, or I’m going to get cranky.”

 

~

 

Skipping class to make time for the first year’s lunch in his own schedule is what Sakuma Rei is all about, even if it means listening to Shu talk about a number of ridiculous things.

 

Today’s debate in the courtyard next to the fountain as he lounges underneath a parasol, Shinkai Kanata splashes in a fountain, and Wataru bedazzles another mask? Whether or not Nito Nazuna is suitable for Valkyrie. 

 

“No,” Rei says around his tomato juice box sippy straw. “Definitely not.” 

 

“But Rei, he’s gorgeous. He has a lovely face, tiny perfect legs, rosy cheeks that seem to blush even in the gloom, the cutest little singing voice...” Shu’s voice is dreamy and a little nervous, fingers plucking at a nearby flower, as if too nervous to play _he loves me, he loves me not_ with its petals. “And he’d look so good between us, with the difference in our heights.”

 

Rei sucks the remaining life out of his juice box. “He can’t sing, he was barely a choir boy, and his voice hasn’t broken yet.”

 

“I’m sure we could work around that! A little vocal training, that’s all he needs--and Rei, he wants to be better than he is, Wataru told me all about it.”

 

“Did I say something so carelessly helpful?” Wataru asks, laying down rhinestones, interspersed with small pebbles. “What I said is that he seems drastically unsatisfied in his current unit.”

 

Rei rolls his eyes, spinning his parasol slowly. “He can’t dance, either. Demonstrably. He’s bad at it.” 

 

“He could get better. Are you saying you can’t train someone--”

 

“I’ll do it!” Wataru volunteers, for no reason. “I love hopeless cases!”

 

“Be quiet, Wataru,” Rei wearily says. “Shu, why do you want to waste your time with someone that you’d have to train from the ground up when you already have _me?_ ”

 

Kanata emerges from the water with a shake of his hair, splattering the three of them thoroughly. “Nito-kun…seems like a good boy,” he says slowly. “But very………..”

 

Rei stares at him. 

 

“Rough around the edges.”

 

“See? Kanata agrees with me.”

 

“I didn’t hear any agreement there,” Shu snaps. “Don’t look to them for consensus, we said we weren’t going to hold any votes until we’re all here. Otherwise we _always_ wind up in a tie.”

 

“That’s because I always vote yes to whatever mad scheme there is,” Wataru says merrily, “and someone is _always_ voting no. We’re a contrary breed, aren’t we?”

 

“It’s not _up_ to the rest of everyone.” Rei leans forward, exasperated. “ _They_ aren’t Valkyrie. _We’re_ Valkyrie. And the agreement was if you and I can’t come to a proper agreement, nothing changes. Remember?” 

 

Shu lets out a frustrated huff, but refrains (barely) from stamping his foot. Then, because it might make his point better, he stomps his foot, but on purpose. “I just think a little extra addition might make this unit stand out--you know I’ll do whatever I have to in order to defeat Tenshouin and Hasumi and their stupid plans. If that means recruiting a little adorable _cuteness_ , that could be worse, couldn’t it?”

 

“Our unit is fantastic without a cute blob to drag us down.” Rei rummages into his bag with a sigh, seeking out another box of tomato juice in lieu of chomping down on Shu publicly. “If you want another member in Valkyrie and can’t stop yourself from looking at blondes, you should think about that kid in _your_ class—Hakaze is his name, I think? He actually moves nicely, and he’s tall, so we’d all be about the _same_ height—“

 

“He likes the sea,” Kanata languidly pipes in. “He’s good.”

 

“See? Kanata still agrees with me.”

 

Shu frowns, tapping his foot a little, and folds his arms. “But I think we need cuteness. You’re sexy and I’m terrifying. Neither of us are cute. Hakaze is also oddly heterosexual, so that would be weird.”

 

Kanata bursts out laughing at that for some reason before diving back into the cold fountain water. Rei shrugs. “I think he’s cute enough. He’s cute in the approachable, sexy kind of way. Nito is cute in the ‘holy shit, I can’t believe he’s out of elementary school’ kind of way, which…is less.” 

 

Shu’s frown turns into more of a scowl. “Fine,” he snaps, sitting on the fountain so it doesn’t look so much like he’s trying to have a height advantage. “If that’s what you want, I won’t stop you from inviting someone into our _private_ unit just so you can enjoy your attractive blond....”

 

He trails off, listening to himself, twin spots of color appearing in his cheeks. “Oh. Fine. I see what you did there.”

 

Rei smiles brilliantly at him, leaning in close. “Kinda makes you think about what our unit needs and what it doesn’t,” he hums, hooking a finger into the neckline of Shu’s many, many ruffles. “ _Maybe_ you should realize that you can admire all you want, but in reality, you don’t need that floofy little mess of a rabbit that can’t keep up with either of us.”

 

Slightly mollified, Shu relaxes into the tug, letting Rei pull him close with a little half-smile. “I suppose you four _are_ the only ones who’ve ever been able to keep up with me,” he allows, arching a delicate, but strong eyebrow. “Ruining that streak would seem to be...less than judicious.”

 

“Never fear, _mon aimes_ ,” Wataru exclaims, hoisting himself onto the edge of the fountain, eyes magnificently bedecked in his new mask. “Shu clearly became jealous of the rest of us, with our shepherded budding talent. It is so enriching to be able to contribute to the formation of tiny minds, is it not?”

 

“You’re too noisy,” Rei complains, releasing Shu to turn away with a grimace, only to end up soaking wet when Kanata bursts from the fountain again like some kind of breaching whale. 

 

“Bubble, bubble~!” Kanata cheerfully agrees, all smiles through his dripping hair even though he clearly has no idea what’s going on. 

 

“Why can’t you two let me enjoy lunch in peace,” Rei bemoans, huddling back underneath his parasol. “It’s not like I can even have a sip of my bentou in public, the least I can do is be able to bask peacefully in the smell of him—“

 

Except there’s no peace at Yumenosaki, not this year, not when Rei catches sight of Hasumi Keito out of the corner of his eye. _Nice timing._ “Oooi, Hasumi-kun,” he calls out, leaning back onto one hand. “Come eat lunch with us.”

 

Not a few eyebrows suddenly raise, both among the so-called Oddballs and the general student populace, when Student Council Vice-President, first-year Hasumi Keito, turns at the call.

 

“He’s going to give them detention,” one boy whispers, sounding dead certain.

 

“No way, Valkyrie is going to throw them a challenge!” another hisses back.

 

“Don’t be stupid, it’s a trap, they’re all going to drown him in the fountain!”

 

Seemingly oblivious, or at least unconcerned with the prattle, Keito walks over to the eclectic group by the fountain, bag over one shoulder. “What is it, Sakuma-san?” he asks, voice oddly clipped and formal.

 

Rei smiles indulgently up at him, his parasol still slowly spinning in his grasp. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about our president’s newest policies, so I thought inviting you to lunch might be a good way to go about it.” In the fountain, Kanata shifts uneasily, splashing quietly as he slinks beneath the water except for his eyes poking out. 

 

“Inviting me to lunch,” Keito repeats slowly, looking around at the other Oddballs--Kanata splashing, Wataru reclining and watching him with wary cat’s eyes, Shu looking as if he’s about to start releasing pressurized steam from his ears. “Perhaps you should ask your companions first.”

 

Shu stands abruptly. “I won’t eat lunch with him. I’ll see you after school.”

 

“No, you sit and eat.” Rei pulls himself to his feet with a stretch and calmly plants a hand on Shu’s shoulder to ease him right back down. “I’m gonna be hungry later. Hasumi-kun and I will just go for a quick walk instead. He probably wants to give me detention for skipping again, anyway.”

 

“I usually want to give you detention,” Keito says with a sigh, leaving a grumpy Itsuki Shu behind as he walks off, trusting that Rei will follow faster than he could ever leave. 

 

Once they’re out of earshot, he says quietly, “There are easier ways to have a private word with me. Now everyone is going to wonder how we know each other.”

 

“Like I’ve ever been good at sneaking around,” Rei sighs, slurping out another mouthful of tomato juice from the box he finally manages to find in his bag. “Might as well be obnoxious to you, then people will just assume it’s my bad personality and that we dislike each other. Besides,” he adds sourly, “I never know when you’re going to be in Tenshouin Eichi’s lap these days.” 

 

Keito gives him a little enigmatic smile, ducking his head slightly. “We aren’t...it isn’t like that. Not...” He clears his throat, looking away. “That isn’t why you called me over, Mr. Obnoxious.”

 

Rei tries not to let his eyes roll out of his skull, but it’s pretty difficult. “Yeah, yeah, more for you or something like that,” he says, sounding far more weary than bitter or jealous. “But no, that isn’t why I called you over…though it does concern your _princess._ He’s got some interesting new policies going into effect next semester, huh.” 

 

“...So I’ve heard.” There’s disapproval in Keito’s voice that should make his position clear, even if his words don’t. “If that’s what the student council president wishes, we have no choice.”

 

“He’s deliberately targeting Valkyrie.” Rei’s eyebrows raise. “He’s done it before. Now he’s aiming for Shu, and I’m not letting that happen.”

 

Keito lets out a weary sighs, rubbing at his temples. “You literally formed the unit to spit in his face. It’s a little late to pretend like you’re surprised and hurt that he’s coming after you.”

 

“Do I sound surprised and hurt?” Rei finishes his juice box with another slurp, and stuffs it into his bag, because Yumenosaki, like the rest of Japan, can’t figure out that trash cans are fucking helpful. “I can see it clear as day, Keito. I’m not surprised. I’m just warning you—I’m not letting it happen to Shu.” 

 

“What do you want me to do, Rei?” To anyone else, that might sounds defeated, powerless. Hopefully, Rei knows him better than that. “You know I won’t be able to directly go against his orders.”

 

“I’m not asking you to. I’m telling you that I’m going to, or I’m going to kick his ass, basically.” Rei shrugs, fiddling with the wrapped end of his parasol. “I’m not letting Shu get fucked over by him. And if you get in my way and try to play as unfairly as he does, I’m pulling all of your unit’s music and you’re on your own.”

 

Keito sucks in a breath, but doesn’t flinch. “You...have an idea?” he asks, trying not to sound a little nervous at the idea of having his brand new unit taken from him, suddenly without traditional Japanese-style folk-rock ballads composed by Sakuma Rei. “I can’t directly move against him, but if you make some kind of sideways move...”

 

Rei thinks for a moment, and then, very casually, he says, “Fair enough. I’ll kill two birds with one stone, then. I’ll just keep challenging you to Lives.” 

 

Keito’s eyes flick to the side, and he says mildly, “I thought you’d never ask. He can’t ban me from accepting your Lives, after all. And...I just happen to have booked a few. At night. Coming up. Which I already had booked for my unit.”

 

“Then we’re all set, aren’t we?” Rei smiles brightly, and sidles closer to give Keito’s thigh a swift pinch. “We’ll have a grand ol’ time, fair and square, and there’s nothing he can do about you being too busy to back up his own ridiculous requests.” 

 

“It wouldn’t work anyway, if he weren’t currently hospitalized,” Keito says bluntly. “I don’t want to say it’s luck, but I’d prefer if you didn’t call it karma. That isn’t how karma works.”

 

“I remember all my Buddhism lessons, don’t worry.” Rei stifles a yawn. “I also remember teaching you every damned dance move you know, so this should be a party.” 

 

Keito reaches over, touching the edge of Rei’s parasol before he stops himself, fingers curling back in on themselves to make a fist. “Yes,” he manages. “A party.” He pauses, then adds, more quietly, “Dad asked about you the other day. Hopes you’re doing well.”

 

“Your Dad’s too nice.” Rei’s expression shifts wry, and he shrugs a little. “I’m hanging in there. I’d be better if _your_ bastard of an Emperor wasn’t trying to destroy the few things that make me happy, but whatever, I guess.” 

 

“Yeah, I just told him that you’re focusing on music,” Keito says, equally wry. “The less he hears about Yumenosaki drama, the better. And he isn’t _my_ bastard, Rei. Not yet.”

 

“Geez. At least fuck him if you’re going to let him torment you and walk all over you.”

 

Keito pushes up his glasses. “Working on it. What about you? And your...bento?”

 

“Hehh, Keito likes to eavesdrop,” Rei teases, bumping his shoulder up against Keito’s. “Cute, isn’t he? That’s why Tenshouin needs to step off, he’s mine.” 

 

“I don’t think Eichi has any interest in Itsuki like that, if that’s what you’re insinuating.” He’d better not. Then again, Eichi has been known to have...somewhat eclectic tastes. God, what a disaster. Keito nudges Rei back, looking around. “Don’t let people see you getting too friendly with me. They’ll think you’ve lost your edge.”

 

“I’ll just shove you into a locker and they’ll be none the wiser,” Rei dismisses with a wave of his hand. “Tenshouin might not have a _direct_ interest in him, but he likes watching Shu squirm, for some fucking reason.” His voice drops, low and irritated. “He looked up his old medical records. That’s not cute, Keito. That’s nightmare fuel.” 

 

Keito spreads his hands. “You think I had something to do with it? I didn’t know that was going on until he said something about mental health--for god’s sake, I thought he was going after _you_ , even though I _warned_ him...well. It doesn’t matter.”

 

“Warned him? About what? That he’d come up empty if he tried, I hope.”

 

“Yes,” Keito says simply. “Because we made sure of it. Not that he needs to know about that part. But I checked with all of the middle schools--I’m good at pretending to be an adult--and they don’t have any record of your withdrawal for anything other than the study abroad.”

 

Rei knows his mother had made sure of that before he’d even officially stepped foot onto Yumenosaki grounds, but he says nothing. When drowning himself in a Buddhist pond, cutting off his hair, and dropping out of middle school hadn’t done shit to make himself feel better (or less paranoid), his mother tossing him across the ocean to a music school in England for the last half of the semester was about as good as he was ever going to get. “Lucky me,” is all he offers up, his parasol spinning slowly in his grasp. “The point is, just because I’m not that easy of a target on paper doesn’t mean Shu should be considered one. I’m not _letting_ him be one. Understand?” 

 

Keito nods stiffly. “But again, I don’t know how much control you think the student council vice-president has. And on a personal note, I’ll try to distract him onto other targets, out of respect and affection for you, but he’s...more like a force of nature, than like someone you can bargain with. I just want you to be prepared for my possible, even probable failure.”

 

“Keito.” Rei stops, pausing as he tries to think of a better way to phrase something, and then abruptly gives up. “I’m going to _need_ you to shove him down on your dick so that he’s way more into that than tormenting everyone else around him.”

 

Keito gives him an exasperated look. “Not everyone appreciates that, Rei. I know, it’s surprising, but...” He folds his arms. “That’s also not something you get to dictate, honestly. Things between us are...delicate.”

 

“When did you turn into such a pussy?” Rei complains. “Tenshouin looks like he’d be into some kinky stuff, just go for it, then maybe he’ll leave my unit alone.” 

 

With anyone else, Keito would shove them away...but this is _Rei_. So he raises an eyebrow, and carefully asks, “If I do, what do I get?”

 

It’s not the response Rei was expecting, and a startled laugh escapes him because of it. “What do you mean, what do you get? Ah…I mean, what do you want?”

 

“I mean...make it worth my while.” Rei has always made him reckless, and he leans in, eyes glittering behind glass. “You’re trying to get me to essentially ruin the relationship I’d sacrifice my whole life for. You could at least offer me something in return.”

 

“…Come up with something you want, then, and it’s yours.” Rei doesn’t lean away, and instead, leans forward, poking one long, slender finger into Keito’s chest. “Do you wanna be my snack again?” he lowly teases. “You look like you could use a cheap thrill.” 

 

Keito sighs, clicking his tongue a few times without leaning away. “And here I thought you’d leap at the chance to be creative and lure me into doing something terribly naughty. Perhaps having someone do all of your designing for you has changed you.”

 

“Wow, rude. I was totally gonna let you show off your leveled up kinbaku skills and bend me over your lap, but sure, insult my new favorite meal instead.” 

 

“As if you’d step out on him. If I asked for that, you’d leer and tease but run home with your tail between your legs.” Keito quirks an eyebrow. “I’ve heard you’re _ever_ so devoted to him. Are those rumors lies?”

 

“I’m going to bite you just to see how salty you taste these days,” Rei sniffs. “I don’t know who’s been saying that to you, but they can stop running their mouth anytime now.” 

 

“Rei, I’m going to ask you kindly to remember that I’m in a class with both Itsuki and Ritsu, and give me the slightest benefit of the doubt.”

  


“...Ah. I mean. Yeah. That’s fair. Still, fuck you, don’t pick on me when you can’t just shove Tenshouin into a wall and...I don’t know, I guess you want to kiss him or something.” 

  


Keito gives him a sour look. “You know how I told you I wanted to date and you said yes? I told Eichi, and he laughed.”

  


“Knowing you, that probably made your dick hard.”

  


“.......It might have.”

  


“God. You’ve got it _so bad._ Just fuck him already.”

  


“You’re acting like there’s some course of action I can take to this conclusion that doesn’t involve a consenting Tenshouin Eichi, which is incidentally the party I’m lacking at current.”

  


“Keito, he probably _wants_ you to shove him into a wall and take what you want. Look me in the eye and tell me he’s not the kind of guy to have some weird, fucked up fantasies. I bet he regularly throws his inhaler out the window when he’s jerking off.” 

  


Keito stares at Rei for a long, long moment, trying to convince himself that the words _don’t_ make sense when all of his instincts are pinging at him that maybe....

  


“I’ve always known your advice would get me arrested,” he says with a sigh. “Fine. I’ll try it. You start thinking on some way to repay me--or I’ll collect on your earlier jibe about enjoying being taken over my lap in kinbaku again.”

  


Rei flutters a hand, trying to be cool when he’s actually pretty flustered by the idea, fuck you Hasumi Keito. “We’ll come to some kind of an agreement. Just get Tenshouin out of my hair--and more specifically, _Shu’s_ hair--or I’m gonna stop being nice about it.” 

  


This is definitely going to give Keito a migraine before the day is out. Meditation first, he thinks--and then perhaps, he can tackle the problem of Tenshouin Eichi.

  


More important than dealing with Hasumi Keito’s love life right now, however, is a _proper_ lunch that isn’t just a couple of cartons of tomato juice sucked down in-between stressful interruptions.

  


When everyone else is packing up to start heading back to class, Rei is turning around to stride back across the courtyard to the fountain, where Kanata still floats, Wataru still...Watarus, and Shu still sits sulkily. “Yo,” Rei says, grabbing Shu up by the wrist to tug him up and then along behind him as he marches off. “You ate, right?” 

  


Shu falls into stride, still sulking, but he’s learned his lesson about trying to break Sakuma Rei’s grip when he’s intent. “Yes, yes, your bento has been prepared--but honestly, after ditching me to hang out with _Hasumi_ , I’m not sure you deserve--”

  


Rei yanks Shu around the back of one of the school buildings and neatly shoves him up against the wall, pinning that one wrist over his head. “I wasn’t ditching you,” he simply says, dropping his parasol to tug down the ruffles around Shu’s neck and prime the skin there with a hot, wet suck. “I was...mm. I was dealing with the student council.” 

  


Shu’s breath catches in his throat, and he automatically shifts, nearly a year of practice helping him to understand exactly where to put his feet, just how he can stabilize himself so he won’t fall down during this part. “Dealing with, hmm? Anything I should know about?” He can feel his own blood starting to thrum fast, as if he’s been prepared, as if just Rei’s saliva has a physiological effect on him by this point.

  


“Nothing bad. I’ll tell you later.” That’s about all Rei has the patience to say right now when Shu’s blood practically _jumps_ to the surface, and he bites down, savoring the way his fangs sink into soft, soft skin and immediately draw blood.

  


The way Shu tastes on his tongue always makes Rei want _more_ , but even if he can drink more than he used to be able to, it’s still never enough. Just a couple of long, even swallows makes Rei shiver and flush, and he forces himself to pull back, his tongue dragging over the twin trails of blood that drip down from the bite mark on Shu’s neck. “You always taste so fucking good,” he sighs, eyes lidded as he nuzzles up behind Shu’s ear. 

  


Shu’s vision clouds for a moment, everything blurring into _sensation_ , before it rights itself, colors brighter than before, breath coming quick and shallow, delicious pleasure tingling through his veins, and he tilts his neck again, looking up at Rei. “I had a big lunch,” he murmurs, fingers digging into the stone building behind him for support. “You...should do the same.”

  


“Two croissants isn’t big,” Rei warns, his teeth gently nipping into the lobe of Shu’s ear. Even though he says that, his fingers _might_ already be unbuckling Shu’s belt, and flipping open the button to his fly...because he has no self-control, and even if he did, Shu offering himself up like that is too much of a temptation for _anyone._ “If I drink again and you pass out, no one’s going to be happy.” 

  


Shu’s hips jut forward, mouth falling open as he presses against Rei’s hand, hungry and a little desperate, turning to seize his lips in a hard kiss. “Taste that? Seaweed salad, and rice, Kanata made extra. Full of, mmh, iron and protein, I ate so you could really feast...I hate it, so don’t put it to waste.”

  


Rei exhales a low, rumbling sound of approval, his teeth gently scoring against Shu’s lower lip as he draws back. “You’re such a good boy,” he breathes, stealing another quick kiss before he drops to his knees, and yanks Shu’s trousers down with him. 

  


Shu’s thighs are creamy-white and nothing but soft skin over the steel of a dancer’s muscles, and Rei splays his fingers over one of them as he mouths kisses all the way up from one of Shu’s knees to where that artery pumps strong and hot, just underneath the surface. He can’t _not_ feast now, not when Shu has gone through the trouble of being so good, and so it’s with great delight that Rei is able to sink his fangs in again, shuddering at the taste of Shu’s blood when it spills over his tongue, bright and fragrant and rich. 

  


This--not just Rei on his knees, but Rei on his knees _worshipful_ , Rei on his knees _supplicant_ , is what Shu lives for, these days. His lips part, the thundering pulse of blood loud in his own ears, drowning out distant shouts of students playing, birds chirping, cars passing the school, all below the soft, urgent sounds of Rei slurping.

  


It doesn’t hurt like he’d thought it would. It never really does, just makes him feel over-sensitive in a good way (usually he’s over-sensitive in such an awful way, his whole damn life feels like it), drags him into shivering arousal with every pump of venom through his veins. He’s certain he should be terrified of being caught, just behind a school building with his trousers around his ankles, ruffled shirt bobbing with every sharp intake of breath, but just can’t summon the will to care about it when he feels so _good_. 

  


Maybe having some seaweed stuck in his teeth is worth it, even if it makes him gag. 

  


“Take as much as you need,” he breathes, oddly proud of himself for being able to say it, hand stroking through Rei’s hair. “A-ahh, just like that...”

  


Fortunately, _as much as he needs_ isn’t _too close to Shu’s limit_ today. Rei can _taste_ the energy and vitality in Shu’s blood, and it makes him shiver when he finally draws back, licking up any little drops that try to escape, not wanting to waste the tiniest bit of it when Shu tastes so _good_. He butts his head up into Shu’s hands like an intensely pleased, overstimulated cat, and he licks his lips, face flushed and eyes lidded as he peers up at Shu. “You,” Rei sighs, fingers hooking into the waistband of Shu’s underwear, “are perfect. Nn, let me...” 

  


“Better than usual, hmm?” Shu’s eyes are bright, his fingers curling in Rei’s hair against his scalp as he shifts his feet farther apart. “Go on--this is all your fault, you can at least take responsibility.”

  


“You _always_ taste good, but...” Rei mouths a line of kisses along the hard line of Shu’s cock through fabric before he yanks his underwear down, letting it drop to Shu’s ankles along with his pants. “There’s a biiig difference,” he murmurs, curling his fingers around Shu’s cock to bring it to his mouth, his tongue sneaking out to swipe over the head of it. “You, mmn...you taste good _everywhere, that’s_ not my fault...” 

  


Shu should probably feel bad for the way he grabs at Rei’s head, shoving him down, hands immediately jerking off to press against the wall again. “Sorry, sorry,” he whispers, letting his head roll back, resting against the rough cool stone. Rei never seems to care if he’s rough, but _Shu_ cares--that kind of thing reflects on him, and he’s _not_ that kind of person. “Just--your mouth, your mouth is so--”

  


A choked, breathless noise that might be the muffled remains of a laugh escapes from Rei’s throat, and he reaches up, grabbing for Shu’s hand again to firmly set it back into his hair...just as he swallows down the rest of his cock like he’s starving for that, too. 

  


Shu might be overeager and overstimulated, but--there’s nothing wrong with that, in Rei’s book. If anything, it just makes him hungrier to have Shu’s cock in his mouth, to make him feel _good_ , and Rei sucks and licks at him eagerly, splaying his hands around Shu’s hips to drag him off the wall and further down his throat. 

  


Sometimes, after one of Rei’s ‘feedings,’ sex almost feels painful to Shu. His body is ready, certainly, but in a forced, unnatural way, like the physiology is present without his mind being in the mood.

  


This time is different. 

  


It’s always different when he’s had something hearty to eat before, as if he’d been arousing himself with each bite, thinking about the way it’s going to drive Rei mad with lust to be able to truly _drink_. Somewhere along the lines, his life has gone truly mad, Shu thinks in mild amusement colored with dismay. Still, it’s hard to complain when someone as gorgeous as Sakuma Rei is sucking hungrily at his cock, laving him with soft wet licks of that sinful tongue. His hands are gentle nonetheless in Rei’s hair, even if that gentleness isn’t welcomed, because god, there’s nothing he treasures like the man on his knees before him. 

  


“Just a little more,” he whispers, eyes sliding closed, the pleasure coursing through him more with every beat of his heart. “Just--harder, can you use teeth, but not fangs--”

  


Shu likes a _lot_ more than he lets on sometimes, Rei thinks in amusement, and he   runs his tongue along the underside of Shu’s cock before letting his teeth gently scrape in turn as he draws back. “Someone’s in a _mood_ today,” he lowly teases, releasing Shu’s cock from his lips and flicking his tongue out to snap the little gossamer strand of saliva connecting them. “You gonna be real nice to me and feed me again, Shu?” Rei doesn’t wait for a proper answer before he swallows Shu down again, just the slightest bit sloppy with his teeth, enough that Rei shivers when Shu’s cock throbs in his mouth, bumping against the back of his throat. 

  


That light scrape of teeth is exactly what he’d needed, and Shu slaps a hand over his own mouth, stifling a cry when he spills suddenly, spurting hot pulses over Rei’s tongue and down his throat, body jerking until his back slams into the wall, momentarily stunning him in the throes of his orgasm.

  


Then slowly, he comes back to earth, only to find the ground fast approaching. “Shit,” he whispers, pitching forward as his knees give out completely.

  


Rei, still in the process of making sure not to make a mess (god forbid, Shu’s already loony enough about kissing after blowjobs), chokes down as much as he can before he’s busy holding Shu up firmly by the hips, shoving him against the wall to steady him. “You’re the worst,” he wheezes, trying not to cough and choke grossly even when he’s already pulling a hand away to wipe his lips and chin. “D-don’t fall over when your dick’s still in my mouth, I can’t multi-task to _that_ degree--”

  


Shu opens his mouth to apologize, but what comes out is, “It’s obviously _your fault_ , you should have been more judicious, _honestly_ , holding me up is the least you can do!”

  


Rei’s eyes narrow, and he yanks Shu down to the ground with him before he promptly grabs his face in his hands and kisses him, shoving his tongue into his mouth. 

  


Shu shrieks against Rei’s mouth, hands flailing to come up and shove him away, feet tangled in his own shoved-down pants and underpants keeping him locked in place. “You’re the _worst_ ,” he half-shouts, voice high and imperious. “Release me, foul creature! The _worst_!”

  


“Nope, come back here!” Rei cheerfully wheedles, lunging after him to shove him against the wall and kiss him again, tongue making a _point_ of swiping against Shu’s _thoroughly._ “Mmnn, seeee, that’s how good you taste,” he happily says. “And it’s aaall my fault that you came that much, huh?” 

  


Shu gags a little, though his body doesn’t oblige him by vomiting on the stupid vampire, unfortunately. “You’re utterly disgusting. I shouldn’t even give you the satisfaction of letting you put your mouth on me again.”

  


“Uh huh. But if it’s my _teeth_ , that’s _different_ ,” Rei teases, pinching the inside of Shu’s thigh as he draws back, admiring the flushed, flustered pile of limbs and clothes that Itsuki Shu has become. “You might wanna get dressed, I think I’ve made you late for class.” 

  


“Your fault,” Shu mumbles, laying still for a moment, letting his chest heave before he finally heaves himself to standing, yanking up his pants. “I look a frightful mess, I blame you for all of this. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

  


“I’m not,” Rei says without a second of hesitation, grabbing for his parasol as he hauls himself upright as well. “You’re my bento, aren’t you? This is just how it is.” He reaches over, straightening some of Shu’s ruffles. “You _could_ skip class and become a real delinquent with me.” 

  


Shu huffs at him, re-straightening the ruffles Rei touches, then straightening Rei’s blazer for good measure. “I won’t, and you shouldn’t skip, either. I’ll tell the teachers about your secret hiding places if you do. Valkyrie will _not_ have poor grades--God knows the student council doesn’t need another weapon to use against us.”

  


Rei stares over at him, his eyes half-lidded and unconcerned. “You _know_ I’m already failing basically every non-idol course class, right?” 

  


“Please don’t remind me of that, I think I’m doing an admirable job in ignoring all of your failings.”

  


“It’s not a failing if I don’t care. What good is Japanese history going to do me when I’m a famous idol?” Rei snidely retorts, reaching over to deliberately drag a thumb over the twin marks on Shu’s neck. “Oh, yeah, you should know. I challenged Hasumi Keito to a Live.”

  


Shu’s eyes narrow. “They’re going to pull some kind of dirty trick on us,” he warns. “Everyone knows that Hasumi is nothing more than Tenshouin’s little lapdog.”

  


 “Nope, he won’t.” Rei pats Shu’s head. “Hasumi-kun’s a lot of things, but a bullshit backstabber he is not. He’s a real gentleman in warfare.”

  


Shu looks up sharply at that, compulsively reaching up to straighten his hair. “He’s not in your club or your class. How do you know?”

  


“We went to middle school together.” Rei shrugs, withdrawing his hand. “And he was in my music club back then, and I taught him how to play the shamisen.” 

  


“I’m going to hold you partially responsible for him, then,” Shu says with a sniff. “At least have the good taste not to associate with him publicly. If rumors start that you’re friendly with the student council, we’ll be in even more hot water.” He hesitates, then adds, less firmly, “Not that I mind who you’re friends with, or anything. I suppose it’s fine to keep old friendships alive, even if they’re currently traitors.”

  


“It’s really not important,” Rei sighs, spinning his parasol idly. Even Shu doesn’t need to know _that’s my ex-boyfriend_ , after all. “Just trust me when I say that he’s not going to maliciously hunt us down or anything. He’s just a big fucking nerd. And I told him I’d pull the plug on writing music for his unit if he didn’t behave, so.”

  


Shu gives him a little smile, reaching over and tucking a strand of hair behind Rei’s ear fondly. “And we can still defeat him utterly, even with you working against your own unit. That’s the kind of confidence I love in you, Rei.” 

  


Then his face flushes dark pink, and he pulls away, grabbing his bag hastily. “Goodbye! I’m leaving goodbye!”

  


Rei blinks a few times, then grins, lurching after him, grabbing at the back of Shu’s blazer. “Nope, you were sweet~” he sing-songs, hooking his chin over Shu’s shoulder from behind. “There’s a tax for that!” 

  


“You don’t get any taxes! You get left behind while I go to class, you horrible beast! I didn’t say anything, anyway!”

  


 

“You complimented me so sweetly and touched my hair, that’s a _double_ tax,” Rei says with a laugh, planting a kiss to the side of Shu’s neck, and then spinning him around to steal another kiss from his mouth. “All right, _now_ you can go. Mmn, unless you have anything else nice to say--”

  
“No! Never!”

**Author's Note:**

> please talk to me about ReiShu


End file.
